EEPTILIA. 279 



the covering scute. Scales smooth, tetragonal, hroacler in the 

 middle abdominal row, resembling scutella. Tail very short, 

 truncated, with a horny disc descending obliquely from the upper 

 part, or covered at the apex with carinate scales. Gular groove 

 none. Rudiments of pelvis none. 



This small family, to which also two new genera of Dumeril and 

 BiBRON belong, Goloburus and Flectrurus still unknown to me, was 

 placed by Cuvier with Tortrix, and by Schlegel was referred to 

 the genus Ty})hlops. The characteristics of external structure and 

 the osteological peculiarities have been investigated by J. Muellidr ; 

 see Zeitsch. filr Physiol, von F. Tiedemann u. Treviranus, iv, s, 

 248 — 253. Compai-e a figure of the same in Dumeril and Bibr. 

 Eiyet. PI. 76. fig. 1. 



Uropelta. {Uropeltis Cuv., add RJihiophis Hempe., Pseudo- 

 typhlojps SCHL.). 



Sp. Uropelta ceylonica Cuv. R. Ani. ii. ed. i, p. 76, PI. vii. fig. 1, Cocteau, 

 Gderin Magas. de Zool. 1833, Rept. PI. 3; — Uropelta Philippina Cuv., 

 Eydoux et Geuvais in Guerin Magas. de Zool. 1837, Rept. PI. 13. 



Note. — Colohurm is distinguished by an oblique truncated tail, covered 

 at the truncation with bicarinate scales. 



Family XIV. Typhlina [Hopoterodonta Dumer.). Head not 

 distinct from trunk, mostly scutate. Mouth small, inferior. Teeth 

 few, in one or other of jaws (mostly none below). Eyes minute, 

 covered by scute. Scales very smooth, imbricate, covering body 

 everywhere. Gular furrow none. Tail very short, conical, mostly 

 acuminate with a terminal scale resembling a spine. Rudiments of 

 pelvis, styliform ossicles covered by skin (placed in front of vent). 



In these small serpents, resembling earth-worms, the anterior 

 part of the cranium is broad, expanded like a vesicle in front; 

 the short under jaw consists of two lateral pieces united in 

 the middle by an elastic ligament. The upper jaw-bones (or 

 the bones which Mueller regards as palate-bones) are short 

 and armed with a few (at most five) teeth; the under jaw com- 

 monly has no .teeth, but, if it be provided with them, the 

 teeth are absent in the upper jaw, and the upper jaw-bones are 

 in that case thin. See J. Mueller op. cit. s. 241 — 245, Taf 20, 

 fig. 10—15, DuM. and Bibr. Erj)et. vl p. 241—249, Atl. PI. 75, figs! 

 1, 2. The head has mostly in front a large scutum rostrale which is 

 bent downwards, and in many the nostrils are situated on the under 



