Records of the S.A. Museum 



4upptrbbials 



TerminoloKv of head shields 



shaped, placed \vholl\- on the underside of the head ; the teeth are few in number 

 and are confined to tlie upper jaw. being placed on the maxilla, transversely to 

 the axis of the skull, the tongue is forked and white or pink in colour. 



Colour. The dififerent species of blind snakes are generally very similar 

 in colour, being purplish-grey above and flesh-coloured below, the two tints often 

 sharply defined : after preservation in fluid, the colours become leaden above and 

 yellow below. Some of the North Australian species have one or both extremi- 

 ties black ; this, and other dejjartures from the usual colouration, will be referred 

 to later. 



Reproduction. It is known that some species lay eggs, doubtless all do 

 so; the eggs are of comparatively large size. The sexes cannot be determined 

 without dissection ; different examples of the same species sometimes show \aria- 

 tion in the respective length of the tail, where such exists the longer tail is 

 generally indicative of the male. 



Anatomy. The skull is simjjler than in other snakes, having fewer dis- 

 tinct bones, and these solidly united. The skulls of very few species of the 

 Family have been described, and it is more than probable that if those of our 

 blind snakes were examined, considerable differences would be detected. So far 

 I have dissected one species only, namely, 7" aiistralis. but the shape and propor- 

 tional size of the cranial bones differ so much from the illustration of those of 

 T. liiinbricalis (2) and T. rcticulatns (3) that a tempting subject of research is 

 indicated. 



The skin of the snout is closely applied to the Ijone, and as considerable 

 variation exists in the contour of the head in the different species, the skull will 

 certainly be found to be similarly modified. 



Very little original work has been done on the osteology of the Typhlopidae, 



(2) Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. i. 1893, p. 4. 



(3) Jan. Icon. G^n.. liv. 9, pi. i. fig. 9. 



