REPTILIA. 279 



the covering scute. Scales smooth, tetragonal, broader in the 

 middle abdominal row, resembling scutella. Tail very short, 

 truncated, with a horny disc descending obliquely from the upper 

 part, or covered at the apex with carinate scales. Gular groove 

 none. Rudiments of pelvis none. 



This small family, to which also two new genera of DUMERIL and 

 BIBRON belong, Coloburus and Plectrurus still unknown to me, was 

 placed by CUVIER with Tortrix, and by SCHLEGEL was referred to 

 the genus Typhlops. The characteristics of external structure and 

 the osteological peculiarities have been investigated by J. MUELLER; 

 see Zeitsch. fur Physiol. von F. TIEDEMANN u. TREVIRANUS, iv. s. 

 248 253. Compare a figure of the same in DUMERIL and BIBR. 

 Erpet. PL 76. fig. 1. 



Uropelta. (Uropeltis Cuv., add Ehinophis HEMPR., Pseudo- 

 typhlops SCHL.). 



Sp. Uropelta ceylonica Cuv. R. Ani. n. 3d. 2, p. 76, PL vn. fig. 2, COCTEAU, 

 GUERIN Magas. de Zool. 1833, Kept. PL 2; Uropelta Philippine Cuv., 

 ETDOUX et GERVAIS in GUERIN Magas. de Zool. 1837, Rept. PL 13. 



Note. Coloburus is distinguished by an oblique truncated tail, covered 

 at the truncation with bicarinate scales. 



Family XIV. TypUina (Hopoterodonta DUME*R.). Head not 

 distinct from trunk, mostly scutate. Mouth small, inferior. Teeth 

 few, in one or other of jaws (mostly none below). Eyes minute, 

 covered by scute. Scales very smooth, imbricate, covering body 

 everywhere. Gular furrow none. Tail very short, conical, mostly 

 acuminate with a terminal scale resembling a spine. Rudiments of 

 pelvis, styliform ossicles covered by skin (placed in front of vent). 



In these small serpents, resembling earth-worms, the anterior 

 part of the cranium is broad, expanded like a vesicle in front; 

 the short under jaw consists of two lateral pieces united in 

 the middle by an elastic ligament. The upper jaw-bones (or 

 the bones which MUELLER regards as palate-bones) are short 

 and armed with a few (at most five) teeth; the under jaw com- 

 monly has no teeth, but, if it be provided with them, the 

 teeth are absent in the upper jaw, and the upper jaw-bones are 

 in that case thin. See J. MUELLER op. tit. s. 241 245, Taf. 20, 

 fig. 1015, DUM. and BIBR. Erpet. vi. p. 241249, Atl. PL 75, figs. 

 1, 2. The head has mostly in front a large scutum rostrale which is 

 bent downwards, and in many the nostrils are situated on the under 



