Surinam Toad. KEPTILES. Common Salamander. 95 
savannas bordering on the higher ground ; and by an 
inattentive person might be taken for spiders or other 
insects. Their note is very feeble, not unlike the chat- 
tering of young birds or crickets.” This species of 
frog, like the others already mentioned, feeds upon 
insects, and is very active and nimble, making immense 
leaps to secure its prey, or to escape from its pursuers. 
It can easily be domesticated, and takes its food readily 
from the hand. 
A number of Tree-frogs are also found in Africa, 
but we have not space to describe any of them. 
Of the Second division of Anourous or Tailless 
Batrachians, the Proteroglossa, or those which 
have the tongue free in front instead of adhering, 
there is only one genus, Rhinophrynus, and only one 
species of the genus, i?. dorsalis; a toad-like reptile, 
with a broad, depressed, and rounded body, of a 
bluish-gray colour, marked with yellowish spots on the 
sides and along the back. It is a native of Mexico. 
Of the Third division, the Tongueless Frogs 
{Aglossa), or those which have no tongue at all, the 
species are few in number ; but amongst them there is 
one which, from its curious organization, is well worthy 
of attention : — 
THE SURINAM TOAD [Pipa Americana) — repre- 
sented in Plate 2, fig. 2 — is this species. The genus 
PiPA is remarkable among the Anourous Batrachians 
from the female having pouches on the back, in which 
the eggs are placed by the male, and which are hatched 
there instead of in the water, as in all the other Batra- 
chians. This is the only species known, and is a native 
of South America. It is common in some parts of 
Brazil and in Guiana, where it is often found taking 
up its abode in obscure corners of houses. It is more 
especially common in Surinam — hence its common 
name of Surinam toad. By the natives of Brazil it 
is called tedo and curu-curu. The Surinam toad is a 
larger species than our common European toad, and is 
remarkably ugly. It is from six to eight inches in 
length, and four or five in breadth. In shape it is 
horizontally flattened, the head being short, broad, and 
triangular. The skin is of a dirty brown colour, thickly 
studded with reddish tubercles. The most remarkable 
part of the history of these animals, however, is the 
peculiar method of reproducing their young. The 
female has the back fitted with a great number of cells 
or small pouches, and at the time of spawning, the 
male, firmly clinging to her, carefully deposits the eggs, 
to the number of about one hundred, as they issue 
from her, in those cells, and there impregnates them. 
The mother then hurries to the water, where she 
remains. In a short time the skin becomes slightly 
inflamed, a kind of irritation is set up, the skin swells, 
the pits deepen, and in due time the eggs become 
developed into the tadpole state. These young ani- 
mals, however, remain in that position till they are 
fully developed, not leaving their place of abode till 
they have assumed the perfect form. They then take 
refuge in the water, and the mother returns to dry 
land. Notwithstanding the repulsive and somewhat 
disgusting appearance these animals present to the 
eye, in many parts of South America the natives use 
them as food. Three species have been described, 
but in reality there is only one. 
Sub-Order II.— BATKACHIA GEADIENTIA, or UEODELA (WAiiaNG 
or Tailed Batrachians). 
This sub-order of Batrachians differs from the pre- 
ceding in having the body elongate and tapering in 
form, and in the animals of which it is composed being 
possessed of a tail at all times of their life. The meta- 
morphosis, or change which the young undergo in 
their progress to maturity is less complete than in the 
tailless species. 
The Urodeles or Tailed Batrachians may be divided 
into three Families : SalamandriDjE, MoLGiDiE, and 
Pletiiodontiuae, characterized by the position of their 
teeth. 
Family I. — SALAMANDERS {Salamandridm). 
In the animals belonging to this family, the teeth on 
the palate are placed in two longitudinal diverging 
series on the inner hinder edge of the elongated tri- 
angular vomerine bones. The skull has in general a 
more or less well-developed bony orbit above the eyes. 
The tongue is broad, only slightly attached, being free 
on the sides, and partially so behind. 
Salamanders are either terrestrial or aquatic. They 
are generally found in moist places ; the aquatic species 
living in lakes, ponds, and ditches. They prefer still 
water, and choose retired and shady places. Their 
food consists of animal matters, such as aquatic insects, 
earth-worms, small leeches, molluscs, and planariae, 
&c. The tail, which, as we have already mentioned, 
in all the other species of the sub-order is persistent 
through life, is either round, or flattened and com- 
pressed. In general the species are of small size, and 
the greater number are natives of Europe and North 
America. None have as yet been found in South 
America, India, Australia, Madagascar, or in either 
Central or South Africa. North Africa furnishes a 
few, and there are some found in Japan. Eighteen 
species have been described in the Catalogue of Am- 
phibia in the British Museum. 
One of these was well known to the ancients, and 
has been the source of abundant fables and extrava- 
gant assertions. 
THE COMMON OR TERRESTRIAL SALAMANDER 
{Salamandra maculosa) is the species, and is repre- 
sented in our Plate 3, fig. 3, and Plate 8, fig. 19 
— (skull). The Salamander was formerly, and still is 
in many places, believed to be able to brave the violence 
