42 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 
mischievously ignorant writers, are those of the third of the foregoing 
sub-orders almost exclusively. Even the broad, flat, and lanceolate 
form of head is exemplified in certain Tree Snakes of the non-venomous 
genus Dipsas, and not in the Cobras and others that are quite as 
deadly—e.y., Hoplocephalus, Bungarus, Naja, Elaps, and others con- 
stituting the Colubriform family Elapide. 
First SUB-ORDER. 
Ophidit Colubriformes (Giinther), Innocuous Snakes. 
These are distributed by Dr. Giinther under numerous families, of 
which we can only notice the more prominent and some of the more 
conspicuous species, in a popular exposition. 
The Zyphlopida, or Blind Snakes, comprise forms which are the 
most remote from the true Ophidian type. They live underground, 
their rigid body and short curved tail being adapted for burrowing. 
After showers of rain they occasionally appear above ground, and 
then they are tolerably agile in their serpentine movements. ‘The 
eye, which is scarcely visible in many species, can give to them only 
a general perception of light. ‘They feed on worms and small insects, 
the tongue being forked, and, as in other Snakes, frequently exserted. 
They are oviparous. The smallest species of Snakes belong to this 
family, some of them being only half the size of a common earth- 
worm, to which they bear a superficial resemblance. Such, indeed, 
are the small vermiform Snakes already referred to as being foolishly 
_considered venomous by most natives of India. Species of this 
family inhabit almost every country within and near the tropics. 
The Zortricide are akin to the Typh/opide, and have rudiments 
of hind limbs hidden in a small groove on each side of the vent, also 
a longitudinal fold at the chin. The Coral Snake of Demarara 
( Zortrix scytale) appertains to this family; and the genus C’ wlindrophis, 
different species of which inhabit the great Asiatic archipelago, with 
the island of Ceylon. 
The family Xevopeltide consists of a single species only, so far as 
“hitherto known, the (Xenopeltis unicolor. ,) which is common in the 
Indo-Chinese and Malayan countries. It grows to three or four feet 
in length, and when alive is along the back a steel-blue colour, 
most beautifully iridescent, beneath white; but the blue fades to 
brown after long immersion in spirits. Young examples have a white | 
collar. Mr. W. Theobald remarks of it that “ this snake is common 
in Lower Pegu and the Tenasserim provinces, and is very malignly 
beautiful, though of repulsive physiognomy. The skin is loose and 
