176 OPHIDIA. 



This is the most common species of Indian Tyiihlopidce, and almost generally distributed 

 throughout the Indian continent and archipelago ; it is common in Ceylon as well as in China 

 and Nepal. It does not attain to any large size, the largest I have seen measuring 8 inches. 



The three views of the head are given of four times its natural size. 



TypHLOPS TENUIS. (Plate XVI. fig. C.) 



This species is closely allied to T. hraminns, but comparatively only half as thick. It has 

 the same peculiarity of nasal and praeocular touching each other below the fronto-nasal ; the 

 nasal extends upwards on the upper side of the head ; and the body is surrounded by 

 twenty longitudinal series of scales. But the circumference of the body is only a twenty- 

 foui-th of the total length, and I count 366 transverse series round the body and eleven round 

 the tail. 



A single specimen, 5 inches long, has been received from Madras. We have given the 

 outlines of its body, to show its slender form. 



Typhlops mirus. (Plate XVI. fig. H.) 



Typhlops mii'us, Jan, Archiv Zoolog, i. p. 185 (without description). 



Eostral shield half as broad as the head, its lower portion being broader than long. 

 Nostril lateral ; nasal separated from the fronto-nasal by a suture above the nostril. The 

 fronto-nasal extends backwards behind the rostral without touching its fellow from the other 

 side ; it is broadest above the nostril, where it is broader than the rostral ; its hinder margin 

 is S-shaped, and bordered by two shields subequal in size, the upper of which is the prae- 

 ocular, the lower a subocular. The ocular is situated behind the praeocular and above the 

 fourth labial, the ocular and the fourth labial being rather larger than the prse- and sub- 

 oculars. The first labial is in contact with rostral and nasal, the second with nasal, fronto- 

 nasal, and subocular, slightly ascending between the two latter shields; the third is smaller 

 than the second and in contact with the subocular only ; the fourth is as large as the three 

 others together and in contact %vith the subocular and ocular. The scale-like shields on the 

 croviii of the head are regular, subequal in size, not much larger than the scales. 



Body rather thicker behind than in front, its circumference in the middle being one- 

 sixteenth of the total length. Tail not very short, straight, not quite twice as long as broad, 

 terminating in an obtuse point. Body surrounded by eighteen longitudinal series of scales. 

 I count 333 transverse series ; fifteen round the tail. 



This species is uniformly coloured, like T. hraminus; its snout is yellow. It is peculiar to 

 Ceylon, where it appears to be rather local, being confined to the interior of the island. The 

 longest of our specimens is 5 inches long. 



The three views of the head represent it of six times its natural size. 



