REPTILIA. 549 



are founded, the authors develop that followed by them- 

 selves. They divide the Serpents into five sections : 



1. Fermiformes (Scolecophides). Teeth in one jaw only ; body of uniform 

 size throughout., vermiform. The upper jaw oiily moveable, intermaxillary 

 and nasal bones and vomer firmly united ; no poison-fangs or grooved teeth. 



2. Cicuriformes (Azeniiophides). All the facial bones moveable, superior 

 maxillary bones very long ; teeth in both jaws ; no poison-fangs or grooved 

 teeth. 



3. Fidendiformes (Aphoberophides). All the facial bones moveable, teeth 

 in both jaws, the posterior teeth of the upper jaw grooved, the anterior 

 entire ; not venomous. 



4. Fallaciformes (Apistophides). All the facial bones moveable, teeth in 

 both jaws, the anterior teeth of the upper jaw grooved; venomous. 



5. Fiperiformes (Thauatophides). All the facial bones inoveable, teeth in 

 both jaws; poison-fangs in the upper jaw ; venomous. 



To a general consideration of the various organs of serpents succeeds the 

 special part, in which, in the first place, the Vermiformes are divided into 

 two families. TYPHLOPIANS. Lower jaw without teeth ; with the genera 

 Pilidion, Ophthalmidion, Cathetor/iiints, Onyehocephalm, Typhlops, Cepha- 

 lolepis. CATODONIANS. Lower jaw with teeth, comprising the genera 

 Sternostoma. 



In the section Cicuriformes the first two families only are treated of in 

 this volume. The PYTHONIANS are divided into three tribes : Pythouides, 

 intermaxillary teeth, with the genera Horelia, Python, Liaxis, Nardoa ; 

 Erycides, without intermaxillary teeth and without prehensile tail, containing 

 only the genus Eryx ; Boaeides, without intermaxillary teeth, with pre- 

 hensile tail, including the genera Enyyrus, Leptoboa, TropidopAis, Platy- 

 gaster, Bia, Pelophllus, Eunedes, Xiphosoma, Epicrates, Chilabothrus. The 

 TOKTRICIANS consist of the genera Tortrix and Oylindrophis.^ Sixty-five 

 species in all are described in this volume. 



Dr. T. S. Savage has given some notices on the habits of 

 Python natalensis, and has described several instances in 

 which it had wound itself round and crushed animals. It 

 sometimes coils the tail around some [fixed] object in order 

 to enable itself to exert more force upon its prey ; some- 

 times it inserts the rudimeutal feet in fissures in the ground 

 [or under rocks], thus affording a fulcrum [which gives 

 inconceivable force to the blow] . It also employs the rudi- 

 mental feet in ascending trees, for which purpose it inserts 



