THE SHORT-TAILED SNAKES. 



335 



The sub-family of the Boas also contains the Tree Boa of South America,* Mexico, and the West 

 Indies, and two other genera of West Indian Snakes. These are represented by the Pale-headed 

 Tree Boa of Cubaf and the Yellow Snake of Jamaica. | 



FAMILY ERYCID^E. THE SAND SNAKES. 



These resemble the Pythons and Boas in their internal and in most external charactei's, but 

 their tail is short and not flexible or prehensile, and the head is hardly distinct from the neck. They 

 are not arboreal, but frequent sandy or dry places and plains, burrowing easily beneath the surface, 

 and entering crannies and holes in search of their prey, which consists of mice, lizards, and other 

 burrowing snakes. They move with great rapidity. They are nocturnal, more or less, and are 

 found in Northern Africa, South Europe, and the islands of the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, 

 Hindostan, Sikkim, and part of Arabia. 



THE FAMILY OF SHORT-TAILED SNAKES, OR ROLLERS. THE TORTRICID^E. 



The Snakes of this family are cylindrical in shape, and rather rigid in their bodies. They 

 have a small, conical, stumpy tail, a short and indistinct head, and little teeth, some being on the 

 palatine bones, and the scales are smooth. They have a rudimentary pelvis with horny spines 

 projecting close to the vent, and there are relics of the hind limbs. One species has teeth 

 on the pre-maxillary bones, like a Python, as well as on the usual bones. This is Tortrix scytale, 

 which inhabits Guiana. It is a small, innocuous Snake, which lives above ground in boggy 

 places, preying 011 worms, insects, and small reptiles. Probably it cannot swallow anything large, 

 as the quadrate bone is articulated directly with the skull, the squamosal being rudimentary. 



Another genus of the family is represented in Java by the Red Cylindrophis ; but this Snake has 

 no teeth on the pre-maxillaries. It is made a pet of, and sometimes worn as an ornament. Finally, 

 in the genus Xenopeltis of India the squamosal bone does not form part of the wall of the skull. 



The last family of the Colubriform Snakes is closely allied to the Rollers. Its members have a 

 cylindrical body, a short and pointed head, a non-extensile mouth, and a short truncated tail, with 

 a naked terminal plate, or it is replaced by keeled scales. There are teeth on both jaws, and there is 

 * CoraUus kortulanus. t Epicrates angulifer. J Chilobothrw inornatus. 



TORTRIX SCYTALE. 



