Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. l&eptilid. 



with most of those of Snakes. The absence of external limbs, 

 although striking the popular eye, is not a distinctive character, for 

 in some undoubted Lizards these are wanting. 



The " Worm-Snakes," as the curious group of Reptiles called 

 Scolecophidice by Dumeril and Bibron may be termed, are so 

 singularly like the " Slow- Worms " or "Blind- Worms" of English 

 writers in size, shape, general appearance, and habits, that it is not 

 easy for the popular observer to discriminate them. The absence 

 of limbs is a character of Snakes common to both ; but the true 

 " Slow- Worms " have the two halves of the lower jaw united by 

 bony union at the chin, as in the Lizards, and also agree with them 

 in having movable eyelids, and more or less distinct external drum 

 to the ear, as well as some rudiments under the skin of the limbs. 

 The present Worm- Snakes, on the other hand, have the halves of 

 the loAver jaw free and separable in front, as in the Ophidice, or 

 Snakes, and, like them, also, are destitute of eyelids and external 

 ear-drums, so that the balance of the structural evidence would go 

 to classify the Worm-Snakes with the Snakes, and the Slow- Worms 

 with the Lizards. Nevertheless, Dr. Gray, as well as Fitzinger 

 and Schlegel, class the creatures I propose to call "Worm-Snakes" 

 with the Lizards or Sauria, as well as the " Slow- Worms," or 

 Anguis, and other allied small snake-like Lacertilia, and at one 

 time Dr. Gray proposed to form an Order Saurophidia, to include 

 Typldops, Anguis, and a number of other snake-shaped reptiles 

 which are now, however, by general consent, kept in different 

 orders. 



The " Worm-Snakes," by their small size, cylindrical body — 

 scarcely tapering at the very short tail, both ends being much 

 alike — glossy smooth surface, and habit of burrowing in the loose 

 soil, differ from all other Serpents and Snakes, and sufficiently 

 resemble Earth- Worms, to excuse the use of a popular name, 

 recalling the similar ones of Blind- Worm and Slow- Worm applied 

 to the species of Anguis, although they are neither blind nor slow. 

 The muzzle is broader, in proportion to the back of the head, than 

 in ordinary Snakes, and the bones of the anterior part of the head 

 and face are solidly joined together, so that the mouth is incapable 

 of the dilatation of Snakes in general, although, like them, and 



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