The opening of I. AMPHIBIA
"'s scheint, dass die hier oben keine
Ahnung haben von dem Sumpf und
Seiner Pracht."
The "plattgedrückte Kröte,"
SCHEFFEL'S Trompeter von Säkkingen.{3}CHAPTER I
AMPHIBIA
CHARACTERS AND DEFINITION–POSITION OF THE CLASS AMPHIBIA IN THE PHYLUM VERTEBRATA–HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE CLASSIFICATION OF AMPHIBIA
A bird is known by its feathers, a Beast by its hairs, a Fish by its fins, but there is no such obvious feature which characterises the Amphibia and the Reptiles. In fact, they are neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. This ill-defined position is indicated by the want of vernacular names for these two classes, a deficiency which applies not only to the English language. All the creatures in question are backboned, creeping animals. Those which are covered with horny scales, and which from their birth breathe by lungs only, as Crocodiles, Tortoises, Lizards, and Snakes, are the Reptiles. The rest, for instance, Newts or Efts, Frogs and Toads, are the Amphibia. Their skin is mostly smooth and clammy and devoid of scales; the young are different from the adult in so far as they breathe by gills and live in the water, before they are transformed into entirely lung-breathing, terrestrial creatures. But there are many exceptions.