FISHES 



83 



the continent of Europe, are aboreal in habit, and harmonize in 

 colour with the foliage which surround them. 



Tailed Amphibians differ a good deal among themselves as 

 regards their habits. Some of them, as the Spotted Salamander 

 {Salamandra maculosa) (see vol. i, 

 p. 246), devour snails and such 

 other small invertebrates as are to 

 be found in damp places on the 

 land, while many are aquatic, among 

 these being the Newts and Fish- 

 like Salamanders. 



Cases have already been noted 

 of snakes and snake -like lizards 

 which burrow in the earth, and this 

 habit also finds illustration among the Amphibia in the case of the 

 blind and limbless Csecilians (see vol. i, p. 255), which possess long 

 worm-like bodies, and pursue earthworms, &c., underground. 



Fig. 365, — Toad catching its Prey 



FISHES 



The enormous class of Fishes is pre-eminently carnivorous, 

 and its members present many interesting structural features 

 having reference to the nature of the food. The several orders 

 may be considered in succession. 



LUNG-FISHES OR MUD-FISHES (Dipnoi) 



The Lung-Fishes or Mud-Fishes (Dipnoi) (see vol. i, p. 265) 

 of Africa, South America, and Australia, are all carnivorous, 

 and their mouths are armed with broad bony plates suited for 

 crushing. The South American Mud- Fish [Lepidosiren) of the 

 Amazon and Paraguay rivers has been shown, in the latter locality 

 at least, to feed very largely upon a large kind of fresh-water 

 snail {Ampullaria), the shells of which are easily crushed by 

 these strong dental plates. The habits of the African Mud-Fish 

 {Protopterus), judged by the behaviour of captive specimens, are 

 in many respects similar, but their diet would appear to be of a 

 more varied character. Semon [In the Australian Bush) makes 

 the following remarks about the food of the Australian Mud-Fish 

 {Ceratodiis) : — "Now and then our baits of meat or molluscs 



