TYPHLOPIDua:. 





elastic extensible ligament ; generally both jaws and palate provided 

 with teeth. Eyelids none. Integuments with numerous scale-like 

 folds, rarely tubercular. 



tt, u Upper labials. 



t, t Temporals. 



m Mental. 



* * Lower labials. 



c, c Chin-shLelds. 



Ophidians are divided into three Sub-Orders : — 



1. Harmless colubrine snakes, without grooved or perforated fangs 

 in front. 



2. Venomous colubrine snakes, with a grooved fang. 



3. Viperine snakes, with a permanently erect perforated fang. 



SUB-ORDEE, I. — Harmless Colubrine Snakes. 



Snakes without grooved or perforated fang-like teeth in front. Poison 

 glands none. 



Family, TYPHLOPID^. 



Blind Snakes. 

 Body cylindrical. Head short, not distinct from neck. Tail short. 

 Body and tail covered with rounded polished imbricate scales, equal in 

 size and form above and below. Fore part of the head covered with 

 large shields. Upper labials four. Eyelids rudimentary. Cleft of the 

 mouth inferior, short and narrow ; a few teeth in the upper jaw only, 

 none in the lower or on the palate, Maxillaries short. Mandibles 

 feeble. Rudiments of hinder limbs hidden beneath the skin. 



