396 DA VISON. [Vol. XI. 



to twenty membranous laminae extending obliquely fro7n witJiin 

 outwards and backivards in stick a manjier as to transfer the 

 generative products slowly from the cloaca to the external lips 

 of the vent. Wlien these lips are placed in apposition to the 

 lips of the female vent, the reproductive agents are induced 

 within the cloaca of the latter by means of a series of capillary 

 tubes (Fig. XI, C) arranged oti the inner walls of the vent and 

 extending from without inwards and forwards. I do not see 

 how these different features in the vent structure of the two 

 sexes can serve any other purpose than that which I have 

 described. Furthermore, the fact that the male was so filled 

 with spermatozoa as to cause them to exude indicates that that 

 month, May, was the natural time for their evacuation; and, 

 inasmuch as the eggs are not deposited until August or Sep- 

 tember, fertilization must occur within the body of the parent. 

 This theory of internal fertilization is further strengthened by 

 the fact that IcJitJiyophis glutinosus, the blind-worm of Ceylon, 

 an animal closely related to the family Amphiumidae, is re- 

 ported by the Sarasins (9) to have its eggs fertilized internally. 



TJie Respiratory System. 



The anatomy of the respiratory apparatus in this animal is 

 very simple. The external apertures of the nostrils are exceed- 

 ingly small, being situated near together on the forward aspect 

 of the fascial region. The internal nares appear lateralwards 

 of the posterior limit of the vomero-palatine series of teeth. 

 The trachea is very long, being i^i my largest specimen nearly 

 six centimetres. The glottis is a small longitudinal slit on the 

 ventral side of the pharyngeal region. There is no epiglottis. 

 The trachea is thin-walled, without any cartilaginous forma- 

 tions. The lungs are annexed to the trachea dorsalward of 

 the heart. Cope has greatly erred in saying the lungs are 

 subequal. TJie left lung is coextensive posteriorly tvitJi the 

 liver, but the right one extends within tJiree or four centimetres 

 of the vent. The diameter of the left is much smaller than 

 the right also. The walls of these respiratory sacs are quite 

 thick anteriorly, and grow thinner as they pass caudalward. 



