CHAPTEE XIX. 



THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE FAMILIES AND GENERA OF REPTILES 

 AND AMPHIBLA. 



REPTILIA. 

 Order I.-^OPHIDIA. 



Family 1.— TYPHLOPID^E.— (4 Genera, 70 Species.) 



General Distribution. 



The Typhlopidae, or Blind Burrowing Snakes, are widely 

 scattered over the warmer regions of the earth, but are most 

 abundant in the Oriental and Australian regions, and least so in 

 the Neotropical. They are absent from the Nearctic region ; 

 and in the Palsearctic are found only in South-eastern Europe 

 and Japan. 



The most extensive genus is Typhlops, comprising over 60 

 species, and having a range almost as extensive as the entire 

 family. The other well characterised genera are : — 



Typhlina (1 sp.), ranging from Penang to Java and Hong Kong ; 

 Typhline (1 sp.), the Cape of Good Hope ; JDihamus (1 sp.), New 

 Guinea. 



