4 AMPHIBIA. 



part of the whole number of known species being 

 of that character. 



Among no animals do we meet with beings of a 

 more singular form than in the Amphibia ; some 

 of which present appearances so unusual, so gro- 

 tesque, and so formidable, that even the imagina- 

 tion of the poet or painter can hardly be supposed 

 to exceed the realities of Nature. 



The Amphibia in general are extremely tena- 

 cious of life, and will continue to move, and exert 

 many of their animal functions, even when de- 

 prived of the head itself. The experiments which 

 have been occasionally made on these subjects, can 

 hardly be recited without horror. The natural 

 life of some of the Amphibia, more particularly of 

 the Tortoise tribe, is extremely long ; and even to 

 the smaller tribes of Frogs and Lizards a con- 

 siderable space seems allotted. The same is also 

 highly probable with respect to the Serpent tribe. 



By far the major part of the Amphibia are ovi- 

 parous, some excluding eggs covered with a hard 

 or calcareous shell, like those of birds; others 

 such as are covered only with a tough skin, re- 

 sembling parchment; and in many they are per- 

 fectly gelatinous, without any kind of external 

 covering, as in the spawn of the common Frog. 

 Some few are viviparous ; the eggs first hatching 

 internally, and the young being afterwards ex- 

 • eluded in their perff^ct form, as in the Viper, &c. 

 kc. In cold and temperate chmates, most of the 

 Amphibia pass the winter in a torpid state ; and that 

 sometimes in a degree of cold which would seem 



