ORDER OPHIDIA. . ^241 



THE THIRD ORDER OF REPTILES. 



The Ophidians, or Serpents, 



Are reptiles without feet, and, consequently, those 

 which best merit the appellation of reptiles. Their 

 body, greatly elongated, moves by means of the 

 folds or windings, which it makes on the ground. 

 They must be divided into three families. 



Those of the first, or 



Anguis, 



Have still the osseous head, the teeth and tongue 

 resembling those of seps. The eye is furnished 

 with three lids, &c. They may, in fact, be consi- 

 dered as seps without feet. 



They all enter into the genus of the 



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