C^CILIANS. 455 



below the nostril. The genus is represented by two species from Southern 

 India, a West African form which has been referred to it having been shown to 

 belong to Geotrypetes. In the foregoing genera the tentacle has a conical 

 form, but in the typical genus Ccecilia, which is confined to Tropical South 

 America, it becomes flap-like, with a horse-shoe shaped groove at the base, its 

 situation being below the nostril. On the other hand, in the nearly-allied 

 Hypogeophis, the same organ is placed below the nostril. This genus is 

 specially interesting on account of its geographical distribution, having two 

 species from Africa, and two from the Seychelles. A West African species 

 formerly included in the same genus is now distinguished as Geotrypetes 

 petersi. Still more remarkable is the distribution of the genus Dermophis, 

 which has several species from Tropical America, one from West Africa, and 

 another from the eastern side of the latter continent. From the preceding 

 kinds this genus is distinguished by the globular form of the tentacle, which 

 is surrounded by :* circular groove, and situated below and in front of the 

 eye. 



In addition to the presence of scales in the skin, all the preceding genera 

 are characterised by the eyes being either distinct or buried only in the skin. 

 From these, Gymnopis and Herpele differ in that the same organs have sunk 

 so deep as to be actually beneath the bones of the skull. In the former 

 genus, which is confined to Tropical America, the globular tentacle is sur- 

 rounded by a circular groove, and placed close to the muzzle, whereas in the 

 latter which is West African it is nearer the nostril. 



In the remaining genera of the family, the skin is devoid of scales. Of 

 these, GegenopJiis, as represented by a single Indian species, is remarkable 

 on account of its extremely restricted range, being apparently recorded only 

 from the Peria peak, in the Wynad district, at an elevation of about five 

 thousand feet. Even there it is stated to be of rare occurrence. Unlike most 

 of its kind, it lives under stones. As a genus, this csecilian is characterised 

 by the eyes being beneath the bones of the skull, and by the tentacle being 

 globular, and surrounded by a circular groove. From this genus, Siphonops, 

 with three species inhabiting Tropical South America, differs by the distinct 

 eyes, and the flap-like tentacle, which has a horse-shoe shaped groove at the 

 base, and is placed much nearer to the eye than to the nostril. The allied 

 genus Typhlonectes, from the same regions, may be distinguished by the ten- 

 tacle, which is of similar shape, being nearer to the nostril than to the eye, as 

 also by the compression of the hinder end of the body. Lastly, we have the 

 South American Chthonerpetum, which differs from all the other scaleless 

 forms in the arrangement of some of the bones of the skull. It has a flap- 

 like tentacle, situated mid- way between the eye and the nostril. One species 

 of this genus is found in the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres, and is thus 

 more southern than any other American member of the family. 



