ii7r, 



A l»()J*ULAll TJUOATISI^J ON THK COMMON INDIAN 



SNAKES. 



Illustratep by CoLOUKEi) Plates and Diacjkams 



BY 



V. Wall, c.m.g., c.m./..«., f.l.s., Lieut.-Colonel, i.m.s. 



rart XXrV (with Plate XXIV and Diac/ram.) 

 (Continued from ixige 215 of Volume XXIII.) 

 Family — TYPiiLOPiDiE. 

 (Greek ''tuphlos, "' blind, "ops"'=Eye.) 



In the scheme of ophidian classification laid down by Boulengev 

 in his catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum published 

 in 1896, the blind snakes are included in the two first of the nine 

 families, viz., Typhlopidas and Glauconiidae. The species of these 

 two families are easily recognised from all other snakes by having 

 ventral shields that are not enlarged. The species of the former 

 family are peculiar in having tour supralabials, whereas in the 

 latter there are only two, the 1st situated in front of, and the 2nd 

 behind the ocular shield (see figure A 4). 



The family Typhlopida? compi-ises the most degenerate of all 

 ophidian forms, their degeneracy being inferred from their eyes which 

 are purblind, their locomotion which above the surface of the ground 

 is very laboured, and their extremely defenceless condition, for 

 they have no weapon of ofience or defence. The mouth being- 

 small, placed beneath the snout and having few and no opposable' 

 teeth, is incapable of grasping anything but minute objects. Their 

 existence depends upon the subterranean life to which they have 

 adapted themselves, and by which they escape annihilation from a 

 host of rapacious foes. The family embraces three genera (1) 

 Relminthoijliis including 5 species all inhabiting tropical America, 

 (2) Typhlops including over 100 species inhabiting parts of all five 

 Continents, (3) Ti/pkhphis represented by a single species inhabil- 

 ing Brazil and (iruiana. 



(4emis — Typhlops. 



The type of this genus is the S. American T. reticularis, describ- 

 ed by Schneider in 1801. The genus contains many of the most 

 diminutive of snakes, some only attaining to a length of but four 

 or five inches m their adult state. They live for the most part 

 beneath the soil, and subsist upon worms, grubs and insects. The 

 eye is situated beneath one or more shields, and is thus protected 



