2 SYNOPSES AND DESCRIPTIONS. 



SCOLECOPHIDIA. 



SCOLECOPHIDES. 



Dtuitcril d' Bihniit, 1844. 



Body elongate cylindrical; head short, indistinct; tail short, thick. 

 Eyes imperfect, in some species invisible, covered by the ocular shields. 

 Mouth small, inferior. Ligamentary attachments of the bones of the head 

 possessing l)ut little elasticity. No fold under the chin. Teeth few, on 

 either the upper jaw or the lower, none on the palate. Tongue forked, 

 exsertile. Scales smooth, imbricate, similar on back and belly. 



Found under rocks or pieces of wood, or in the earth, whei'e they bur- 

 row to feed on worms, larvae of insects, etc. 



TYPHLOPIDAE. 



TYPHLOPINAE. 



Teeth in the upper jaw 



Typhlops. 



stenostominae. 

 Teeth in the lower jaw; 



crown-shields resembling those of the 



colubers Anomalepis. 



crown-shields scale-like 



Stenostoma. 



TYPHLOPIDAE. 



FiUimjer, 1826. 



typhlopinae. 

 Typhlops. 



Schneider, 1801. 



Teeth on the upper jaw. Rostral shield well deA^eloped, reaching the 

 upper part of the wiiout. Nasal vertical, divided or entire. Urown with 

 scales similar to those of the bnck. Labials four, rarely three, anterior 

 small. Hab. All tropical and subtropical regions. 



Typhlops longissimus. 



OriniiAi.MiDioN LONGissiMUM Dum. & Bibr., 1844, Erp. G^n. VI, 263. 



Tvi'iii.oi's LONGISSIMUS Jiin, 18()1, Arch, pir In Zo'il. 7, 182. 



T5o(ly long, slender, cylindrical; head depressed, rounded; tail short, 

 rounded at the extremity, armed with a small spine, llostral linguiform. 



