BLIND-WORM. 45 



almost immediately after tlieir birth, and -soon learn to feed 

 upon small soft insects, and probably small worms, snails, or 

 slugs. 



The shedding of its sldn is performed by this species in 

 the same manner as by most of the true Ophidians. It is, in 

 fact, taken off in one piece, when the animal is at liberty and 

 strong enough to effect this ; and, like the others, it leaves 

 the skin, turned inside out, attached to the brushwood, or 

 other substance which it has employed to entangle or secure 

 it as it was coming off. It is, however, stated that in some 

 cases it is inverted only as far as the vent, and that the tail 

 slips out of its covering " like a sword out of its scabbard." 



This animal is long, and almost of equal thickness through- 

 out the whole length, but rather tapering posteriorly. The 

 body is slightly tetragonal. The head is short and small; the 

 eyes small, but very brilliant and quick ; the eyelids perfect, 

 as in the Lizards ; the ears entirely covered with the integu- 

 ment ; the teeth are very small, and slightly hooked ; the 

 tongue rather broad, not very extensile, notched at the ex- 

 tremity, but not bifid as in the true Snakes. Vertex covered 

 with about nine plates ; sides of the head, throat, back, sides, 

 belly, and tail, all covered with small and nearly equal 

 rounded scales, which are not carinated. The tail, which is 

 obtuse, is, in some individuals, not more than half the 

 length of the body, or even less ; but in others, reaches 

 to nearly an equal length with the head and body. My 

 own observations would go to prove that this difference 

 in the relative proportion of these parts may in some measure 

 depend on sex ; as we find in the Common Lizard that the 

 body of the female is longer than that of the male. 



The general colour is brownish grey with a silvery glance ; 

 and there are generally several parallel longitudinal rows of 

 little dark spots along the sides, and, more constantly, one 

 along the middle of the back. In some individuals the upper 



