4o8 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



are more nearly allied to the saurians, are the 

 slow-worms (ophisaurus and orvet, Daud.). The 

 glass slow-worm (anguis ventralis, Sh.) inha- 

 bits the southern states of North America ; it is 

 remarkable for the deep furrow which separates 

 its dorsal and ventral scales ; its tail is much 

 longer than the abdomen, and it breaks with 

 such facility, that it has been named on this ac- 

 count the glass snake', and the same remark is 

 made of the common slow-worm (anguis fra- 

 giliSy Sh.). These animals feed on worms, in- 

 sects, and young snails. There are in the collec- 

 tion several foreign species of this family ; that 

 which comes next is composed of the ophidians 

 or serpents. The amphisb&nce] which constitute 

 the first order amongst them, are much allied to 

 the chalcides by the verticillated arrangement of 

 their scales. The Museum possesses several va- 

 rieties of amphisbaene ; all are inhabitants of the 

 warmer regions of America, where they are 

 found concealed in the nests of ants. 



We shall now describe the ophidians, the col- 

 lection of which amounts to five hundred and 

 fifty specimens belonging to upwards of two 

 hundred species. The greater number have been 

 preserved in spirits of wine, and are contained in 

 long cylindrical glasses, through which they can 

 be perfectly well seen. This mode of preserve- 



