BATEAOHIANS. 37 



do not properly telong to the Batraehia ; nor is their place in the system as yet 

 quite satisfactorily determined. They seem rather to he a very humhle form of 

 reptile ; while the Pseudiehthyes should rather he suhordinated to the class Pisces : 

 though, as we have seen, there are naturalists who would refer all of the Batraehia 

 to the fish class, certain forms amongst them rising to a parallelism of development 

 with Eeptilia, hut still not constituting true reptiles. The mode of reproduction 

 especially is in favour of this view. Both Psendophidia and Pseudichthycs are inter- 

 tropical or suhtropioal animals, whereas the rest of the Batraehia Gradientia helong 

 almost exclusively to the northern temperate zone ; any exceptional case occurring 

 prohahly in very elevated regions. Of sixty-six ascertained species, forty-nine are 

 American, and there are five from Japan, inclusive of the Sieioldtia maxima. But 

 more species have heen discovered since the catalogue cited has heen drawn up, and 

 of course there must be many yet to he discovered. Five species are referred to the 

 Pseudophtdia, and three' only to the Pseudichthyes. — Ed. 



