430 A1IPHISBJ,NIDJ5. 



Fara. 15. AMPHISB^NID^. 



Ampliislasenidae, Oraij, Ann. Phil. (2) x. 1825. 



Amphisbaenoidea, Fitziin/er, A'eue Classif. Rept, 1826. 



Angues, part., Wagler, Syst. Amph. 1830. 



Amphisbaen£B, Wiegmann, Hop. Mex. 1834. 



Chalcidiens glyptodermes, Dumeril ^- Bibron, Eip. Gen. v. 1839, 



Ti'ogonopliidEe, Amphisbsenidse, Lepidosternid*, Chii'otidae, Gray, 



Cat. Tort. &c. 1844. 

 Ampbisbasnidse, Cope, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1864. 

 AmphisbEenidae, Trogonophidas, Cope, Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. 8c 



xix. 1871. 

 Ampbisbsenidse, Boulenger, Ann. ^- Mag. N. H. (5) siv. 1884, 



Tongue moderately elongate, arrow-headed, covered with imbri- 

 cate scale-like papillae, ending in two long, narrow, smooth points. 

 Teeth large, few, anchylosed to the inner (Prosjyhijodontes) or to 

 the upper (Emj)hi/odontes) edge of the jaws ; prasmaxillary teeth 

 usually in odd number ; no pterygoid teeth. Skull thick, strongly 

 ossified, without interorbital septum, nor columella cranii, nor 

 postorbital and frontosquamosal arches ; prsemasillary single ; 

 nasals two ; frontals two ; parietal single, very large ; quadratum 

 very oblique or nearly horizontal, owing to the shortness of the 

 post-eoronoid part of the mandible ; occipital condyle frequently 

 divided, Yertebrse very numerous, depressed, all except the fore- 

 most without spinose processes. Pectoral arch imperfectly developed 

 in Ohirotes, reduced to minute rudiments in the other, limbless, 

 forms ; pelvic arch reduced to minute rudiments, Worm-like, 

 adapted to subterranean life ; eyes concealed under the skin ; mouth 

 small, frequently inferior ; no ear. Head covered with symmetrical 

 plates ; skin divided into soft squarish segments forming regular 

 annuli. Tail short. 



The shape of the skull varies considerably according to the genera ; 

 in this respect Blanus appears to be the least specialized, although 

 the occipital condyle is divided, while it remains single (kidney- 

 shaped when seen posteriorly) in the otherwise more specialized 

 Acrodonta. The mandible especially undergoes the greatest modifi- 

 cations, as may be seen from Gervais * and Peters's f accounts of 

 Blanus, Amphishmia, Lcpidosternon, Monopeltis, and Agamodon. 



All the members of this family are burrowers, and many live in 

 ants' nests. They bore narrow galleries in the earth, in which they 

 are able to progress backwards as well as forwards. On the ground 

 they progress on a straight line, by slight vertical undulations, not 

 by lateral movements, as in other limbless reptiles ; the tail of many 

 species appears to be more or less prehensile. The food of these 

 Lizards consists of small insects and worms. Little has been pub- 

 lished on ther habits, and all that is known on their mode of par- 

 turition is that Anops hingii is oviparous, and deposits its ova in 

 ants' nests. 



* Ann. Sc. Nat. xx. pis. xiv. & xv. 



t Eeise n. Mossamb. iii. pi. xiii. A : Sitzb. Berl. Ac. 1882, pi. x. 



