2 BATEACHIA. 



the eggs is membranous, which eggs are mostly laid before the act of 

 fecundation takes place, are, indeed, strong analogies of what is ob- 

 served in most fishes. Still, the general opinion now is, that the 

 affinities of the Batrachians with the other reptiles are most intimate, 

 and that their true place in the organic scale, is in the latter class, in 

 which they constitute a natural order. 



The true affinities of the Batrachians with the other reptiles, con- 

 sist in the structure of their skeleton : there are two occipital con- 

 dyles uniting the skull to the vertebral column, and in the majority of 

 them we observe a distinct sternum, although not combined with the 

 ribs, themselves rather short. 



Tribus I. BATRACHIA URODELA. 



Body elongated, lacertiform, tapering, provided with a tail in the adult 

 as well as in the young; having generally four limbs, and sometimes 

 only two; the fingers and toes being always clawless. Skin naked, 

 either perfectly smooth, warty, or granular. There are teeth on 

 both jaws, and often on the vomer and sphenoid bones also. No 

 external auricular aperture. Inner nostrils situated in the middle 

 of the palate. Vent longitudinal. Neither sternum nor clavicle. 



^YN.— Uroddes, DuM. Zool. anal. 1806.— DuM. & Bibr. Erpet. g^n. VIII, 1841 15 • 

 &, IX, 1854, 1. B , , ; 



Observ.— Generally known under the name of salamanders, in op- 

 position to the frogs and toads, and which constitute the tribe of 

 ecaudate Batrachians {Batrachia anura), the caudate Batrachians 

 {Batrachla urodela), resemble the lizards in their general appearance, 

 and are often confounded with them by the uninitiated. A feature by 

 which they can at once be distinguished from the lizards, consists in 

 their naked skin ; whilst lizards exhibit either scales of various forms 

 and structure, else granular epidermic indurations of a peculiar type. 

 Besides, should the integuments leave us in doubt as to the nature of 

 the animals under consideration, there are other characters to which 



