158 OPHIDIA. AMPHISB^NAD^. 



in the young, however, it is much more conspi- 

 cuous. 



The head is small, without any enlargement, 

 and without any neck, and the tail is so short as 

 to seem as if it had been abruptly cut off, and the 

 wound simply rounded ; so that the whole crea- 

 ture is uniform in thickness through its whole 

 length from point to point. Hence it is difficult 

 at first sight to determine which extremity is the 

 head, and which the tail ; and this circumstance, 

 together with the habit which these reptiles have 

 of proceeding with either end foremost, (their 

 uniformly cylindrical shape and the smoothness 

 of their scales permitting this with facility,) has 

 given rise to a popular notion very widely spread 

 throughout the tropical parts of America, Avhere 

 these Serpents are found, that they are furnished 

 with a head at each extremity. So wondrous an 

 animal as a Serpent with two heads, is of course 

 presumed to have equally wondrous endowments ; 

 it is declared impossible to destroy it by dividing 

 the body in two, for the two heads mutually 

 seek each other after such an accident, and on 

 meeting, the severed parts reunite, and soon 

 heal. Stedman, in his " History of Surinam," 

 alludes to this and other extraordinary virtues 

 ascribed to this "Two-headed Snake." "An- 

 other Snake, which I also observed here, is 

 about three feet long, and annulated with differ- 

 ent colours. It is called Amphisbasna, from the 

 supposition of its having two heads ; and the truth 

 is, from its cylindrical form, the head and tail 

 so much resemble each other, that the error is 

 almost pardonable : besides which, the eyes are 

 nearly imperceptible. This is the Snake which, 



