THE SNAKE-LIKE LIZARDS 



2507 



snails; and is further reported to eat the eggs and young of birds. Its eggs are laid 

 under thick bushes and leaves. The scheltopusik is believed to be a long-lived 

 animal, the natives of the countries it inhabits stating that its full period of exist- 

 ence is from forty to sixty years. Fossil scheltopusiks occur in the Miocene de- 

 posits of Germany, some of which belong to an extinct genus {Propseudopus). 



The want of a lateral fold along the body distinguishes the blind- 

 worm, or slow worm (Anguis fragilis), in common with the remain- 

 ing members of the family, from the scheltopusiks; the blindworm being further 

 distinguished from the other genera devoid of this fold by the absence of all ex- 

 ternal trace of limbs, and the fang-like form of its cheek teeth. The appearance of 



nus, is so well 

 vever, that the 

 1 pattern, while 

 covered with 

 ten to twelve, 

 tail, the blind- 

 slightly at the 

 ight and pierc- 

 the upper parts 

 i sides and un- 

 n the adult, or 

 the same time 

 stern Asia, and 



Dire even when 

 ; most noxious 

 ly as to become 

 5 giving origin 

 ons, the blind- 

 :e in the spring 

 ires in the au- 

 tvhere it is cov- 

 depth in such 

 dy." It feeds 



