BATEAOHIANS. 37 



do not properly belong to the Bairachia; nor is their place in the system as yet 

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

 reptile ; while the F^eudichthijes should rather be subordinated to the class PUces : 

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

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

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

 especially is in favour of this view. Both Fseudopliidia and Pseudichtlajes are inter- 

 tropical or subtropical animals, whereas the rest of the Bairachia Gradimtia belong 

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

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

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

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

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

 Bsiiidophijia, and thi'ee only to the Pseudicldhi/cs. — Ed. 



