THE EYES OF THE BLIND VERTEBRATES OF 



NORTH AMERICA. VI. 1 THE EYES OF 



TYPHLOPS LUMBRICALIS (LINN^US), 



A BLIND SNAKE FROM CUBA. 3 



EFFA FUNK MUHSE. 



lyphlops lumbricalis? a blind snake, is generally distributed in 

 the West Indies and Guiana. The specimens examined were 

 obtained by Dr. C. H. Eigenmann in the neighborhood of Canas, 

 Province Pinar del Rio, Cuba. It is a burrowing form, that lives 

 just beneath the surface, being thrown out even by the plow. 



The snakes were first placed in formalin and after a few days 

 were changed into alcohol. Only one young specimen was ob- 

 tained, and it was preserved in Zenker's fluid. For decalcification, 

 the heads of some were placed for at least three days in ten per 

 cent, nitric acid and others in Perenyi's fluid from one to two weeks. 

 One series was stained by the iron haematoxylin process, the others 

 with haemalum and eosin. It was very difficult to obtain satis- 

 factory sections and especially complete series from the specimens, 

 since no method was found to decalcify properly and to get the 

 integument in condition for sectioning. 



The lengths of the individuals examined were 10, 20, 21 and 

 21.5 cm. The color is brown above, on the ventral side it is 

 yellowish-white. The body is covered with scales of uniform 

 size, while those of the head are somewhat larger. The surface 

 of the entire body is very smooth and shining and rather hard. 

 The tail, which is about one twentieth of the body's length, ends in 

 a short, sharp spine. The mouth is small and lies on the ventral 

 side some distance back from the tip of the snout. 



I. NORMAL EYES OF SNAKES. 



Snakes differ from other animals in having the edges of the 

 two eyelids entirely grown together. A disk-shaped, conjunctival 



1 Contributions from the Zoological Laboratory of Indiana University under the 

 direction of C. H. Eigenmann. 



2 The blind vertebrates of Cuba are rated with those of North America. 

 3 Boulenger, G. A., "Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum," 1893. 



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