ACONTIAS. REPTILES. 355 



Gen. 3. ACONTIAS, Cuv. Anguis, Lin. 



No vestige of a sternum or pelvis ; teeth conical ; second lobe 

 of the lungs rudimentary. 



A. meleagris, Cuv. Tail obtuse,, and much shorter than the prece- 

 ding ; eight rows of longitudinal brown spots on the back. In- 

 habits Guiana. Seba, ii. pi. 21, fig. 1. 



FAMILY II. SERPENTES. 



This numerous family includes those genera which are destitute of a sternum and 

 scapular bones, and want the third eyelid and tympanum. Cuvier divides them 

 into two tribes, the first of which has the lower jaw supported, as in all the pre- 

 ceding genera of reptiles, by a tympanal bone articulated to the cranium ; the 

 two branches of this jaw fixed before, and those of the upper jaw to the cranium 

 and to an intermaxillary bone, which prevents them from dilating, as in the se- 

 cond tribe. The eyes are small; the body cylindrical and covered with scales; the 

 tongue short; the trachea long; the heart very much behind; and they have only 

 a single lung. 



I. JAWS NOT DILATABLE. 



Gen. 4. AMPHISILENA, Lin. 



Body surrounded with circular rows of quadrangular scales ; a 

 row of pores before the anus ; teeth not numerous, conical, 

 in the jaws only ; oviparous. 



A. alba, Lacep. Body white, without spots ; head covered with 

 six large scales ; eight small tubercles around the anus. Inha- 

 bits S. America. 18 inches long Sharv, iii. pi. 134. 



A.fuligivosa, Lin. Body black, variegated with white ; head with 

 six large scales in three rows ; tongue broad, rough above, fork- 

 ed and free ; eyes small, and covered by a membrane ; anus sur- 

 rounded by eight tubercles. 2 feet long. Inhabits Ceylon. 

 Shaw, iii. pi. 135. 



Gen. 5. TYPHLOPS, Schn. Anguis^ Lin. 



Body covered with small imbricated scales ; snout depressed, 

 furnished with plates ; tongue long and forked ; eyes scarce- 

 ly visible through the skin ; anus almost at the extremity of 

 the body. 



T. lumbricalis, Cuv. ( A. lumbricalis, Lacep.) Extremity of the 

 body thicker than the anterior part ; colour livid white. About 8 

 inches long. Inhabits S. America. Lacep. ii. pi. 20, fig. 1. 



T. nasutus. (A. nasutus, Gmel.) Muzzle elongated, with a yel- 

 low spot ; body greenish brown, with a yellow spot and lines on 

 the tail ; abdominal scales 218, subcaudal 12. 12 inches long. 

 Inhabits Surinam. Shaw, iii. 587. 



II. JAWS DILATABLE. 



The second tribe have the tympanal bone or pedicle of the lower jaw moveable, 

 and almost always suspended to a bone analogous to the mastoid, attached to the 

 cranium by muscles and ligaments, which leave it considerable motion. The branch. 



