WORM-LIKE AMPHIBIANS 



371 



very much like the Congo "Snake "; but the hind 

 legs are totally absent, and external gills are con- 

 spicuously present. The front legs, which are 

 close behind the gills, are larger than in any other 

 of the eel-like salamanders, and are of some slight 

 use. 



The Siren Salamander, or Mud-"Eel,"' of 

 our southeastern states, has four toes on its feet, 

 three pairs of gill openings, a smooth skin of a 

 dull black color, and when fully adult a length of 

 about 24 inches. The habitat and habits of this 

 creature correspond closely to those of the Congo 

 "Snake" of the southern rice-fields and swamps. 



THE ORDER OF WORM-LIKE AM- 

 PHIBIANS. 



Apoda. 



Last and lowest in the Class Amphibia, we 

 find a group of creatures that externally seem 

 more like worms than vertebrates. It is inter- 

 esting to know that there are true vertebrates so 

 very worm-like that they have neither legs, feet, 

 nor fins. Some, however, have overlapping 

 scales, like fishes. 



Collectively, these animals are called Caecil- 

 ians (pronounced se-sil'i-ans). There are forty 

 ' Si'ren ia-cer-ti'na. 



species, inhabiting the lower half of Mexico, 

 Central and South America, equatorial Africa, 

 India, Burma and northern Australasia, but not 

 the United States. They arc of burrowing hab- 

 its, and their skulls exhibit a degree of solidity 

 and strength cjuite in keeping with the necessi- 

 ties of creatures which can burrow only with their 



SIREN .SALAMANDER, OR MUD- EEL. 



heads. Many of them are totally blind — by the 

 concealment of their eyes under the skin, or the 

 maxillary bones. (Gadow.) The exact rela- 

 tionships of the Apoda are yet to be determined 

 conclusively. 



