THE TAIL OF A SNAKE. 187 



itself from a branch, not with its tail airled round, but 

 with a mere tip of it lying longitudinally, pressure alone 

 supporting the reptile. The slightest contact suffices to 

 maintain the hold. 



There is still one more offending tail to describe. It 

 belongs to a West Indian relative of our own little ' blind- 

 worm,' bearing also the family name, and for more justifiable 

 reasons, inasmuch as the eyes of the Jamaica species really 

 are not easily distinguished. It is worm-like in aspect, 

 and of about the same size as Angids fragilis, similarly 

 smooth and polished, and so active that it is difficult to 

 hold it. Typhlops hcmbricalis is its name, the first word 

 signifying blind, and the second worm -like. It moves 

 backwards and forwards with equal facility, and is therefore 

 commonly called the * two-headed snake.' The coloured 

 people are dreadfully afraid of its short blunt tail, which 

 they think can ' sting,' and which terminates in a minute 

 horny nipple on a shining round plate or scale. Being a 

 burrowing snake, this hard, protected tail is of great use 

 as a fulcrum ; but when off the ground, taken up by the 

 hand, for instance, the little shining worm makes still further 

 use of its tail, as its English cousin does, pressing the tip 

 firmly against the fingers, or whatever surface is near it, to 

 support itself, and to the terror of those who hold it, and 

 who forthwith dash it down, though it is wholly powerless 

 to injure. 



In Australia it has some allies, whose tails are remarkably 

 developed into this useful point. The reptiles being as 

 round as rulers and as smooth, the difficulty of progression 

 without this aid as a fulcrum will be evident. Below are 



