ANCIENT SALAMANDERS 
93 
useless ; but the chances are rather against the notion. All 
the lizards have this pineal eye. It is probable that we have 
here a relic from some much older and now lost form of life — 
possibly a fish, but possibly also a still lower type. These rudi- 
mentary structures, of which Darwin speaks in his great work. 
The Origin of Species, always possess a high degree of interest for 
the palseontologist, as being survivals from very early days in the 
world’s history. To the latter they are as interesting in their 
way as are ancient customs and old superstitions to a student of 
folk-lore or of ancient history. 
j We must also notice the forward position of the creature’s 
nostrils as indicated by the two small openings at the apex of the 
skull (see Fig. 16). If we were to examine the under side of a 
skull such as that of the Mastodonsaurus, we should see that the 
bony palate is formed chiefly of two broad and flat bones, called 
I the vomerine,” which generally support teeth. Now, this is a 
character not exhibited by the skull of any true reptile, and we 
I must go to modern amphibia, such as our frogs and toads, to 
ii find a parallel. There is also a corresponding series of small 
!| teeth on the mandible of the lower jaw (see Fig. 25). The 
eyes often show the peculiar sclerotic plates seen so well in the 
“ fish-lizards.” 
i. 
In studying an extinct vertebrate, or backboned animal, one 
! of the first points to be considered is the nature of the vertebrae, 
I or joints of the backbone. Now, in all fishes, and also in their 
distant cousin the Ichthyosaurus (fish-lizard), these bones have 
their articulating surfaces (centra) hollow, hence the popular 
i term cup bones ” applied to the vertebrae of the latter. Need 
: we be surprised, then, to learn that the Labyrinthodonts possessed 
I similarly cup-shaped vertebrae ? This is one more link to connect 
1 them with fishes. In some of the more primitive and ancient 
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