184 Dana on the position of Amphibians among Vertebraies. 
Art. XIV.—WNote on the position of Amphibians among the classes 
of Vertebrates; by JAMES D. Dana. 
IN a recent article by the writer on the Parallel relations of the 
classes of Vertebrates," Amphibians are made the inferior division 
of the class of Reptiles, The usual arguments against this view 
were not alluded to because they were believed to be familiar to 
all interested in the subject, and their discussion at the time 
seented not to be required. A few words with regard to them 
are here added in order to set forth more distinctly the special 
‘he chemical researches on the composition of eggs by i, + 
made a few years since,’ claiming to show among their rest 
“the curious physiological fact that Amphibians, besides passing 
the superstructures also, and far more wide ee th 
But the question recurred whether in the subdivision of 38 
subkingdoms of animal life into classes, it is not, after all, i 
more correct method to take note primarily of species 1 the! 
finished or adult state; that is, whether adults do not exp 
the true idea and nature of species, or the objects to be cei : 
rather than the special series of changes through which the adu 
characteristics are reached. poe 
_ In favor of an affirmative reply to this question, the fact Tie 
out prominently that, as regards the subkingdoms in anima He 
embryology in the hands of the best embryologists has 0M) 
subordinate divisions under the subkingdoms ‘there is ve only 
of natural affinities in all. Professor Agassiz, in his Essay 
1 This Journal, [2], xxxvi, 815, November, 1868. cic, 1956 
* This Journal, cr xix, 38, 238, xx, 65, 1855, from the Journ. de Pha ee eh 
