34 AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 



as usual with most snakes ; consequently, progression is 

 performed in a modified manner, and is largely aided bj 

 tile thorn-like scale in wliich the tail terminates, a 

 feature more fnlly mentioned in part I. (page 17). 



Blind snakes feed chiefly, if not exclusively, upon 

 insects, and, as they destroy numbers of " white ants " 

 (Ter7mtes), and their eggs, they are to be encouraged, 

 more especially as they are perfectly harmless and 

 absolutely inofTensive. Nineteen Australian species are 

 known ; they are all of similar color, being grey above 

 and flesh tint below ; and while some are proportionately 

 longer than others, they are generally so very similar 

 that their determination is a matter of great difficulty. 

 As the several species can be identified only by a 

 specialist on the group, it follows that popular names 

 would be of no value whatever, and althougli Krefft 

 used such for the few species with which he dealt, I 

 have, in this family, given the scientific names only. 

 Typhlops polygrammicus appears to be the com- 

 monest species in New South Wales, T. australis, 

 in South Australia, and T. hituherculalus, in Queens- 

 land. The Victorian Tyjyhlops have not yet been 

 technically examined. 



The following is a list of all the species described, 

 together with their maximum size and habitat in 

 Australia, as far as known : — 

 ^xi T. guentheri, Peters. Northern Australia ; length, 



5J inches. 



