THE GLASS SNAKE. 51 



The jaw-teeth of this reptile, although not of a venomous character, are strong, and 

 those of the palate, although small, are probably useful in aiding the creature to secure 

 and swallow its prey. The tongue is thin and covered with little papillae of various 

 sizes. Along each side runs a rather deep groove or furrow, which, on a closer inspec- 

 tion, is found to be double. The scales of the back are rather shining and closely set, 

 and there is a slight keel running along the centre of each scale, which is shown more 

 distinctly on the tail than on the body. The keel is shown more distinctly in the young 

 than in the adult. 



The color of this reptile is rather variable, but in general the ground color of the 

 body is chestnut, profusely dotted with blackish spots, caused by the dark edges or 

 spots of each scale. These scales are arranged in a regular series of thirteen longitudinal 

 rows. The eye is bright golden green, and has a very beautiful appearance, as it con- 

 trasts well with the chestnut and black of the body and head. The young Scheltopusic 

 is very different from its parent in the coloring, being gray above, with rather obscure 



GLASS SNAKE. OpA/saurus veirfra//s. 



bands of grayish brown, and the under surface is gray, with a whitish lustre. The 

 length of the Scheltopusic is about eighteen inches, the tail occupying about three- 

 fifths of the whole measurement. 



THE curious reptile which is appropriately called the GLASS SNAKE is a native of 

 North America. 



In this creature there is not even a vestige of limbs, so that it is even more snake-like 

 than the preceding species. The generic title of Ophisaurus is of Greek origin, signifying 

 Snake-lizard, and is given to the reptile on account of its serpentine aspect. The reader 

 may remember that on page 48 there is an account of the saurophis, a name which is 

 exactly the same as that of the present species, except that the one is called the lizard- 

 snake, and the other the snake-lizard, a distinction which, in the present case, is without a 

 difference, so that the two reptiles might exchange titles and yet be appropriately named. 



The Glass Snake is indeed so singularly like a serpent that it can only be distinguished 

 from those reptiles by certain anatomical marks, such as the presence of eyelids, which 



