101 



OPHIDIA. 



OPHIODES. 



102 



Ophidia, Rafin., 'Anal. Nat.,' 76, 1815. Ophidii pars, Oppell., 

 'Kept.,' 47. Ophidii, Gray, ' Ann. Phil.,' 1825, 20J. Serpents propre- 

 ment dit, Cuvier, ' R. A.,' ii. 60 ; ed. 2, ii. 7, 74. Serpentia gulones 

 Men-em, 'Tent.,' 81. Ophidii, section 2, Bibrou. Serpmtes Theciglossi, 

 AVagler, ' Syst. Amph.,' 165. 



Synopsis of the Families. 



Sub-Order I. Viperine. Jaws weak ; upper toothless, with fangs in 

 front ; lower toothed. Ventral shields broad, band-like. Head 

 large behind ; crown flat, generally covered with scales, rarely 

 with shields. Hinder limbs not developed. Eyes lateral Nostrils 

 apical, lateral. 



1. Crotalidce. Face with a large pit on each side, placed between 



the eye and the nostril. [CROTALiD.fi.] 



2. Viperidce. Face without any pit on the cheek. 



Sub-Order II. Colubrine. Jaws strong, both toothed, sometimes with 

 some fangs in frout or groved teeth behind. Head moderate or 

 indistinct ; crown often covered with regular shields. 



Section I. Belly covered with narrow elongate shields or 



scales, nearly resembling those of the back. 

 3. Uydndoe. Vent without any spurs like rudimentary feet. 

 Nostrils superior, valvular. Eyes superior ; pupil round. Tail 

 often compressed. Belly covered with narrow shields or with 

 scales like those of the back, the central series sometimes 

 united together in pairs, forming a narrow 6-sided shield. 



4. Boida. Vent with spur-like rudimentary feet on each side. 



Eyes and nostrils lateral. Tail conical, generally prehensile. 

 Ventral shield narrow, transverse, band-like. [BoiD.E.] 



Section II. Belly covered with broad band-like shields. 

 Vent without any spur-like feet. Tail conical, tapering. 



5. Colvbrida. Nostrils apical, lateral, open. Head generally 



shielded. 



The species of Colubridce, the largest family of Ophidia, have not 

 yet (1855) been arranged in the British Museum Catalogue. [REPTILES.] 



Fottil Serpents. Professor Owen, in a paper published in the 

 'Transactions of the Geological Society of London' (vol. vi., 2nd 

 series), describes some fossils found in the London Clay referable to 

 an order of reptiles which appears to have been very sparingly repre- 

 sented in the fauna of former periods of the history of the earth. 



" Vertebra," observes the Professor, "joined enarthrodially by a 

 deep anterior transversely-oblong cup and a corresponding prominent 

 posterior ball, and further articulated by two projecting flat oblique 

 processes, wedged like the carpenter's tenon into a mortice excavated 

 in the anterior oblique processes of the succeeding vertebra ; support- 

 ing moreover, on either side of the fore part of the body, an oblong 

 convexity for the moveable articulation of the rib, belong unequivo- 

 cally to a reptile of the Ophidian Order." 



Professor Oweu then states that there is a group of about thirty 

 vertebrae of this description, with a number of long and slender ribs 

 having expanded concave vertebral extremities, cemented irregularly 

 together by a mass of indurated clay, among the fossils left by John 

 Hunter, and now in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons ; 

 and that a portion of the spinal column of apparently the same species 

 of serpent, measuring 18 inches in length, and including 28 vertebrae, 

 and a smaller group of 7 vertebrae, and a few detached ones, are in the 

 museum of Mr. Bowerbank. The whole of these specimens are from 

 the Isle of Sheppey. 



The vertebra; in each specimen are described a presenting the same 

 conformation and nearly the same size, and as being as large as those 

 of a boa constrictor ten feet in length. They belong, it is stated to 

 the ordinary dorsal or costal scries, but differ from the vertebrae of 

 both Boa and Python in their superior length, as compared with their 

 breadth and height The ridge continued from the lower anterior 

 to the lower posterior processes on each side U stated to be less 

 developed in the fossil Ophidian. The oblique processes themselves 

 do not extend so far outwards ; and the spinous process is narrower 

 in ita antero-posterior extent, but longer. 



Professor Owen observes, that in the first two of the above-men- 

 tioned differences the fossil agrees with the Linnsean genus Coluber 

 and its sub-genera, but differs from the Crotalw ; in the remaining 

 points it differs from Crotaliu, C'oluiw, Najia, and Triyonocephalus. 

 The long and comparatively narrow spine, the outward and backward 

 prolongation of the upper angle of the posterior oblique processes, the 

 uniform convexity of the costal protuberance, the uneven or finely- 

 wrinkled external surface of the superior arch of the vertebra, are 

 characters which distinguish the Ophidian vertebras described by Pro- 

 fessor Owen from those of any other genus of the order with which he 

 had been able to compare them ; and he therefore proposes to designate 

 the species provisionally by the name of Palaophis toliapieui. The 

 ribs, as in all land-serpent?, were hollow. 



In some respects, as the configuration of the under surface of the 

 body of the vertebra;, and in the anterior tubercle upon this surface, 

 Professor Owen found that the fossils agreed with the Boa and 

 Python* more nearly than with the Colubers, in which the under 



surface of the abdominal vertebras are traversed by a median longitu- 

 dinal ridge; and he observes that in none of the differences above 

 noted can there be inferred any obstacle to the practice of the same 

 arts of entrapping and modes of destroying a living and struggling 

 prey. The largest of these Ophidiolitcs in Mr. Bowerbank's collection 

 exhibits a portion of the vertebral column suddenly bent upon itself, 

 and indicating the usual lateral flexibility of the spine. 



"If," says Professor Owen, in conclusion, "we may suppose the 

 species to have had the same number of vertebras as the existing Boas, 

 it must have exceeded eleven feet in length, and such dimensions 

 would indicate that the species was not provided with poison-fangs. 

 Serpents of these dimensions exist in the present day only iu warm or 

 tropical regions, and their food is by no means restricted to animals 

 of the cold-blooded classes. The remains of birds and Mammalia are 

 those which are most commonly found in the alimentary canal of such 

 as are brought to this country dead ; and living birds or quadrupeds 

 also constitute the favourite food of the Pythons and Boas of similar 

 dimensions, which are exhibited in our menageries. If therefore there 

 had not been obtained direct evidence of both birds and mammals in 

 the London Clay, I should have felt persuaded that they must have 

 co-existed with serpents of such dimensions as the species of which the 

 dorsal vertebras are here described." (' Description of some Ophidio- 

 lites (Pal&ophu toliapicus) from the London Clay at Sheppey, indicative 

 of an Extinct Species of Serpent.') 



A small Palaophis has also been discovered in the Eocene sand 

 underlying the red crag of Suffolk, where the remains of a fossil 

 monkey were found. Another species of Palceophia exists in the col- 

 lection of Mr. Dixon at Worthing, from the Eocene (London) Clay at 

 Bracklesham, which must have belonged to a boa-like serpent upwards 

 of twenty feet in length. 



OPHI'DIUM (from &<t>is, a snake), a genus of Malaeopterygious 

 Fishes belonging to the Eel Tribe. The species have smooth heads ; 

 long slender bodies, margined by the united dorsal, anal, and caudal 

 fins ; the jaws, palate, and pharynx are all furnished with teeth ; the 

 branchial aperture is large. The species vary in form and colour, and 

 in the presence, absence, and number of filamentous appendages or 

 beards attached to the under jaw. Two species inhabit the British 

 seas, but are both very rare. In the Mediterranean the Bearded 

 Ophidium is common, and is used for food. 



OPHIOCOMA, a genus of Animals belonging to the order Echino- 

 dermota, to the family Ophiuridie, and to the tribe Ophiurcr.. The rays 

 are simple, squamose, not prolonged into the disc superiorly, and 

 separated at their origins beneath by small pentangular plates. The 

 species are called Brittle-Stars on account of their fragility. They are 

 very difficult to preserve. Professor E. Forbes recommends their being 

 placed in fresh-water as soon as caught, which quickly destroys them ; 

 and after they have been in it an hour or so, to dip them rapidly in 

 boiling water. They are then to be dried in the sun, or in a current 

 of air. The following are the British species of this genus recorded 

 by Mr. Forbes in his ' History of British Star-Fishes :' 



0. neglccta, Gray Brittle-Star. Disc round, flat, imbricated with 

 small smooth scales ; two oblong parallel touching plates opposite 

 the origin of each ray ; upper ray-scales square ; lateral ray-plates 

 bearing four or five spines each, which are equal in length to the 

 breadth of the ray. This species is not uncommon on all parts of t!io 

 British coast. 



0. Ballii, Ball's Brittle-Star, was first discovered hi Ireland by 

 Dr. Ball. 



0. punctata (Forbes), Dotted Brittle-Star. This species, first 

 described by Edward Forbes, was found by Henry Goodsir in the 

 stomach of a cod. 



0. flliformia, Thread-Rayed Brittle-Star. The rays are very long 

 and filifornu It is a rare species in Great Britain. 



0. brachiata, the Long-Armed Brittle-Star. This also is a raro 

 species. 



0. yranulala, Granulated Brittle-Star. The rays are covered over 

 with minute spines. 



0. Bellii, Daisy Brittle-Star. It is not uncommon on many parts of 

 our coast, and is to be found under stones at low tide. 



0. Ooodsiri, named after Dr. Goodsir, who took it from a cod'a 

 stomach taken off Austruther in Fifeshire. 



0. roiula, Common Brittle-Star. Disc rounded, convex, covered 

 with spines of various lengths ; two large triangular parallel plates 

 opposite the origin of each ray ; upper ray-scales triangular, cariuated, 

 imbricated; lateral ray-plates bearing five spines each, which nre 

 much longer than the breadth of the ray. This is the most common 

 of our British Brittle-Stars. 



0. minuta, Sand Brittle-Star. This is smaller than the last, and is 

 found buried in the sand. 



(E. Forbes, A History of Erititli Star-Fishes.) 



OPHIOCE'PHALUS (from %j, a snake, and K^aA^ head), a 

 genus of Fishes belonging to the division of Acanthoptoryyii, characte- 

 rised by having labyriuthiform pharyngeals, and capable of living for 

 a long time out of the water. The species inhabit India and China. 

 [ANABAS.] 



OPHIO'DES, Wagler's name for a genus of Scincoidean Lizards' 

 (Pyyopua, Spix; Bipes, part. Cuvier; and Pyyodoctylus, Fitzinger and 

 Wagler according to Messrs. Dumoril and Bibron). 



