446 DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE AMPHISBENIANS. [May 23, 
Cutrotes, Duméril ; Bimanus, Oppel; Chamesaura, Schneid. 
Characters those of the family. 
CHIROTES CANICULATUS, Cuvier. 
Chirotes lumbricoides, Gray, Cat. Tortoises, &c., B. M. 74. 
Hab. Tropical America, Mexico (B. M.). 
Professor J. Miiller has figured the skeleton and skull of this 
animal. 
Fam. 3. AMPHISBENID. 
Head oblong, rounded below; nostrils lateral, in nasal shields ; 
teeth conical, on the inner edge of the maxillee. Body cylindrical, 
covered with rings of uniform, elongate, four-sided shields, without 
any sternal disk ; preanal pores distinct ; lateral line linear, sunken, 
hia a few small scales. Legs none. ‘Tail cylindrical, rounded at 
the end. 
Tribe 1. AmMpHisp2ninA. The head depressed, rounded on the 
sides in front; nostrils on the upper part of the sides of the 
head, 
A. Lateral and dorsal lines distinct, sunken, covered with small tri- 
angular scales; nasal shields large, square, lateral, forming 
part of the edge of the upper lip,.and separated in front by a 
broad, square, convex rostral shield. 
BLANvs. 
The rostral square, convex ; the nasal shields large, forming part 
of the edge of the upper lip; the crown with a large pentagonal 
frontal shield and two pairs of square shields behind it; eye-shield 
triangular, between upper edge of the front labial shield and the 
frontal. Temples covered with a series of squarish shields; labial 
shields large, the hinder smallest ; the lower shields without any chin- 
shield between them and the gular one. Tail rather tapering, blunt ; 
preanal pores distinct. 
BLANUS CINEREUS, Gray, l. ¢, 72. 
Amphisbena cinereus, Vandeli, Mem, Acad. Lisbon, i. 1780. 
A, oxyura, Wagler. 
A, rufus, Hempr. 
Blanus rufus, Wiegm. 
Hab. N. Africa, Tangiers (Fraser, B. M.); S.W. Europe, Spain 
(Vandeli, 1780) ; Oporto (Allen). 
M. Gervais (Mag. Zool. 1837, class 3. t. 10) gives a figure of 4. 
cinerea; but the details of the head do not perfectly agree with 
our specimens; perhaps this may be from want of care in the artist. 
The number of pairs of plates on the occiput varies from two to 
four. 
