Snakes.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



the roots of a tree; in this burrow it hybernates, 

 having closed the entrance with earth and dried' 

 leaves, and does not reappear till the warm 

 weather has returned. It feeds on insects. On a 

 transient glance of this species running along, it 

 might be easily mistaken for the viper, as Mr. Shep- 

 pard says it was by himself, its length and the ar- 

 rangement of the colours favouring tlie deception ; 

 its movements, indeed, are serpentine ; if seized 

 whilst thus endeavouring to escape, it will turn and 

 bite, and when captured is impatient of coniine- 

 ment, avoids observation, and ultimately dies. It is 

 indeed extremely timid, and, unlike the beautiful 

 green lizard (Lacerta viridis) of southern Europe, 

 never can be rendered familiar. 



The sand-lizard deposits its eggs, to the number 

 of fourteen or fifteen, in hollows in the sand, which 

 it excavates for their reception, and then carefully 

 covers them up, leaving them to be hatched by the 

 rays of the sim. The young, on exclusion from the 

 es:f^, are active, and lead at once an independent 

 existence. 



Fig. 2185 exhibit — a, the Viviparous Lizard ; i, 



the Sand Lizard ; c, the Blindworm (Anguis fra- 



•gilis), of which we shall speak hereafter. Fig. 



■ 2186 exhibits the fragment of the lower jaw of a 



lacertine reptile, from the lower chalk near Cam- 



■ bridge. 



We have alluded to the beautiful green lizard, 

 which is often brought over to England by Italians 

 for show or sale, and kept in cages. This species is 

 a native of France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and the 

 Mediterranean borders of Africa. It is said also to 

 occur in the island of Guernsey, but it exists neither 

 in England nor Ireland. Orchards, large gardens, 

 shrubberies, brakes, and thickets, are the haunts of 

 this lizard, and, though it cannot be called arboreal, 

 it climbs the stems of bushes with great facility in 

 quest of insect food. It is quick and active in its 

 movements, and darts rapidly on its prey. In cap- 

 tivity it soon becomes very tame, and will take flies 

 from those with whom it is familiar, and permit 

 itself to be handled without attempting to bite. It 

 is usually kept in a cage, having an inner compart- 

 ment filled with moss or dried bran, in which it 

 buries itself, and will remain in a state of hyberna- 

 tion during the winter. This lizard should be pro- 

 tected from sudden changes of weather, for it is very 

 sensitive, and does not well endure cold ; it delights 

 to bask in the genial rays of the sun, while its bur- 

 nished skin glitters with metallic brilliancy. From 

 its beauty and utility in the destmction of insects, it 

 might be kept with advantage in vineries or green- 

 houses. The general colour of this elegant little 

 species is a 'rich metallic green, fading into a paler 

 or yellowish tint on the under parts ; the back and 

 head are sometimes minutely freckled with black, 

 occasionally with yellow, and a blue tinge not 

 unfrequently pervades the head. 



A larger species, attaining to sixteen inches or 

 more in length, also remarkable for the beauty of its 

 colouring, is a native of the southern provinces of 

 Europe and the north of Africa. It is the Eyed 

 Lizard (Lacerta ocellata), so called from being orna- 

 mented with round spots of gold and blue, and with 

 rings and irregular markings of black on a bright- 

 green ground. In its actions it is extremely prompt 

 and rapid, and as it darts along its colours glisten 

 with metallic lustre in the sun. When driven to act 

 upon the defensive, it manifests great spirit, attack- 

 ing its assailant with determined resolution ; and 

 when it fastens on the muzzle of a dog, it will suffer 

 itself to be killed before it will let go its hold. It 

 makes deep burrows at the roots of trees, under 

 hedges, and in vineyards sloping to the sun, always 

 preferring a south or south-east aspect. Frequently 

 it excavates a deep retreat in layers of sand or other 

 material easily worked, separating two beds of hard 

 calcareous rock. 



Like all the true lizards, this species is quick-eyed 

 and wary, and disappears within its burrow with 

 wonderful celerity. 



2187. — The Six-Lined Taciitdbomus 

 (Tachi/dromus sex-linealus, Daudin). The genus 

 Tachydromus, which contains only two species as 

 yet known, is distinguished by the peculiar form of 

 the papillae of the tongue, which resemble folds 

 having the figure of chevrons enclosed one within 

 the other with the summit directed forwards ; the ! 

 head is pyramidally quadrangular, the figure slender, ( 

 and the tail of extraordinary length, far exceeding j 

 in proportion that of any other true lizard. The j 

 tongue is not sheathed at the base ; it is moderately I 

 extensible, and divided at the tip into two flattened < 

 filaments. The throat collar is squamous, dente- i 

 lated, and not very definite. The under parts are 

 covered with imbricated scales, smooth or keeled. 



The present species is a native of China, Cochin 

 China, and Java: it is rapid, active, and serpentine 

 in its movements, with the general habits of the 

 lacertine group. The general colour above is olive, 

 and on each side of the back, from the angle of the 



95 



occiput to the base of the tail, runs a beautiful white 

 stripe between two lines of black ; those parts of the 

 sides of the neck and body which are granulated are 

 prettily sprinkled with small black dots, each with a 

 white centre ; the other regions of the sides of the 

 neck and trunk are of a bluish tint with golden re- 

 flexions. A line of black runs between the nostril 

 and the eye, and two others of the same colour, 

 separated by a white stripe, extend longitudinally 

 on the temple. The under parts altogether of the 

 head and body are of a pure mother-oi-pearl white. 

 The tail is sometimes simply olive ; sometimes it 

 presents the colour of burnished copper or of gold 

 with a brilliant lustre: Length about a foot, of 

 which the tail measures three-fourths. (See Dume- 

 ril and Bibron, 'Hist. Nat. des Rept.') 



2188.— The Ophiops 



(Ophiops elegans). The principal character of the 

 genus Ophiops, of which we know at present only 

 one species, consists in the absence of eyelids. The 

 tongue is arrow-headed in shape, moderately long, 

 notched at the end, and covered with imbricated 

 squamiform papilla;. There is no scaly collar under 

 the neck; the ventral laraellas are quadrilateral; 

 there are femoral pores; the toes are carinated be- 

 low. Fig. 2189 represents— a, the Head of Ophiops, 

 in profile ; b, as seen from above, showing the ar- 

 rangement of the plates; c, the throat and lower 

 jaw ; d, the lower part of the under surface, showing 

 the form of the ventral scales, and the line of pores 

 along each thigh ; e, the under surface of one of the 

 posterior toes. 



The Ophiops is a beautiful active little lizard, of 

 slender figure, found in south-eastern Europe,- and 

 the adjacent parts of Asia. Specimens have been 

 brought from Smyrna, and others from the environs 

 ofBakou. Its general colouraboveisolive or bronze, 

 and two pale yellow lines run along each side of 

 the trunk, separated by two series of black spots, 

 which in young individuals are small and distinct, 

 but blend more together in adults. All the under 

 parts are white. 



Family CHALCID^ (CHALCIS, SAUROPHIS, 

 SCHELTOPUSIC, &c.). 



The Chalcidae, or " Cyclosaures " of Dume'ril and 

 Bibron, comprise a series of forms presenting us 

 with a gradual approximation, in external charac- 

 ters at least, to the serpents. Some of them indeed, 

 as Pseudopus and Ophisaurus, Cuvier places in his 

 first section of the Ophidia, or Snakes; and the 

 Amphisbaena at the commencement of the " Vrais 

 Serpents." Following the arrangement of MM. 

 Dumfiril and Bibron, now generally adopted, at least 

 as far as the principles go, we shall give the cha- 

 racters, as detailed by them, by which the family of 

 the Chalcida; are distinguished. The body is usu- 

 ally cylindrical, extremely elongated or snake-like, 

 sometimes destitute of limbs, and mostly with the 

 limbs only little developed: there is in general no 

 distinct neck between the head and trunk, which 

 latter imperceptibly merges into the tail. The skin 

 exhibits traces of rings or of verticellations, and in 

 most there is a fold of skin between the belly and 

 sides ; the head is covered with scutcheons or poly- 

 gonal plates : the teeth are not implanted into the 

 maxillary bones, but afiixed to their internal mar- 

 gin ; the tongue is free, but slightly extensile, broad, 

 and covered with filiform or with scale-like papillse ; 

 it is notched at the point, and not retracted within a 

 sheath. 



The group thus characterized is divided into 

 Ptychopleura, which, besides being scaled, are dis- 

 tinguished by a lateral fold of skin, and into Glyp- 

 toderma* with the skin apparently naked, divided 

 into square or card-like divisions in regular order, 

 and marked with circles at regular intervals ; the 

 skin of each card-like division is of a peculiar firm 

 texture, as if tubercular. The eyes, moreover, are 

 destitute of eyelids. 



Among the Ptychopleura one genus only is en- 

 tirely destitute of limbs, namely, Ophisaurus, which 

 would be a serpent were it not that there are true 

 eyelids and an auditory orifice, while the jaws are 

 consolidated, and the tongue not sheathed. 



In the genus Pseudopus there are only the rudi- 

 ments of the hind-limbs. In Gerrhosaus, Trilobo- 

 notus, &c., the limbs are well developed, and there 

 are femoral pores. These are lacertine in their 

 aspect. 



To the Glyptoderma belong the Chirotes, a snake- 

 like reptile with only anterior limbs, a native of 

 Mexico, the Amphisbaenas, and the allied genus 

 Lepidosternon, and Trogonophes, in which the teeth, 

 as an exception, are implanted in the trenchant 

 ridge of these. These are all destitute of limbs. 



We shall first attend to our examples of the 

 Ptychopleura. 



* Glyptoderma, from 7XtmToy, sculptured, and 5epjua, akin ; 

 Ptychopleura, from irrvf, wrvxos, a fold, and ir> '"po, the side. 



2190, 2191.-THE FouB-TOED Snake-Lizabd 

 (Saurop/us tetradactylus). In this snake-like lizard 

 ttiere are four minute limbs, which are furnished 

 each with four toes ; there are femoral pores • the 

 head is covered above with plates ; the scales of the 

 upper surface are striated, with a small keel in the 

 middle of each ; there are six longitudinal series of 

 ventral lamellae ; a fold runs along each side. 



This singularreptile is a native of the southern 

 districts of Africa; its movemente, as might be in- 

 terred from its figure, are completely serpent-like, 

 but of Its habits little is known. 



The top of the head is yellow, sprinkled with 

 Drown ; all the scales of the upper parts are yellow 

 with a posterior margin of brown ; the sides of the 

 mouth are white ; two black square spots are be- 

 low the eye and two before the ear. Under parts 

 whitish With the two figures are shown enlarged 

 views of the head and limbs. . 



2192. — The Angui.ve Lizard 



CChamcBsaura anguina). In the present genus the 

 limbs are still more reduced, and are mere stylets, 

 terminating in a single toe. The body is covered 

 with rhomboidal, carinated, and imbricated scales 

 producing a coarse rasp-like surface. The head is 

 covered above with plates. This reptile is a native 

 ot southern Africa, and has been brought from the 

 Cape of Good Hope. The general colour above is 

 brown, with a narrow streak of yellow down the 

 middle line, spreading over the sides, where it be- 

 comes paler, and also over the under surface of the 

 body. 



2193.— The Schei.toplsic 

 {Pseudopus Pallasii). The transition from the 

 previous reptiles, with limbs imperfect and scarcely 

 developed, to the present genus, in which there are 

 no fore-limbs, and the hind-limbs are mere minute 

 scaly appendages, is very easy. We have here a 

 completely snake-like body, which is serpentine in 

 all its movements ; there are indeed the rudiments 

 of pelvic bones, as seen at Fig. 2194 ; a a, showing 

 the rudiments of the hinder extremities. 



In this genus the tongue is thin and like an arrow- 

 head, bifid at the point, and covered both with 

 villous and also with large notched papillae. The 

 teeth are strong, and the palate is lurnished with 

 them also, but they are there of small size. A deep 

 furrow runs down each side of the body. The eye- 

 lids are perfect. 



The Scheltopusic, which was first described by 

 Pallas under the title of Lacerta apoda, measures 

 about eighteen inches in length, and is of a reddish 

 chestnut colour dotted with black. The iris is gold- 

 en green, the pupil black. The young are greyish 

 above with cross-marks of brown, whitish grey 

 below. 



This serpent-like lizard is a native of northern 

 Africa bordering the Mediterranean, of the Morea, 

 Dalmatia, and southern Siberia. Scheltopusic is 

 the name given to it by the natives of the desert of 

 Naryn near the Volga. Its favourite haunts are 

 wooded valleys, and places covered with brushwood 

 and thick vegetation, affording it secure conceal- 

 nient. It feeds on insects, small lizards, nestling 

 birds, and chases its prey like a snake, darting along 

 in a series of sinuous flexures. When alarmed it 

 instantly plunges beneath the dense brushwood and 

 is lost. This species was found to be common in 

 the Peloponnesus by the party conducting the ' Voy- 

 age Scientifique en Moiee.' The first discovered 

 was observed basking in the rays of the vernal sun, 

 and had evidently but lately emerged from its 

 winter retreat. It was instantly attacked and killed, 

 but great was the surprise of its destroyers, who 

 supposed it to be venomous, when they found it 

 destitute of poison-fangs. 



Subsequently many individuals were caught alive, 

 and kept in rooms, where they soon became recon- 

 ciled to the captivity, evincing a quiet inoffensive 

 disposition. They were fed upon hard-boiled eggs ; 

 but on one occasion a captive .scheltopusic got ac- 

 cess to a nest of young birds, which it quickly de- 

 molished, doubtless with considerable relish. 



2195. — The Glass-Snake 

 (Ophisaurus ventralis). In this reptile we have 

 not even the rudiment of limbs, but from the points 

 already referred to, namely, the presence of eye- 

 lids, the consolidation of the lower jaw, the auditory 

 orifice, and the unsheathed tongue, snake-like as it 

 is, it does not belong to the Ophidia. There are 

 several rows of palatal teeth. The maxillary teeth 

 are simple. 



The name of Glassy Snake (Glassy Fragile, Pen- 

 nant) has been given to this reptile from its ex- 

 treme brittleness, the slightest touch causing it to 

 snap asunder. It is a native of Carolina and the 

 southern provinces of North America, and its man- 

 ners closely resemble those of the scheltopusic. It 

 frequent spots abounding in vegetation, and feeds 

 on insects, small reptiles, frogs, &c. According to 



