ORDER OPHIDIA. 247 



of quadrangular scales, like the chalcides and bimana 

 among the saurians, a range of pores in front of the 

 anus, teeth not numerous, conical, in the jaws only, 

 and not in the palate. There is but a single lung. 



Two species have been for a long time known. 

 (^Amph. Alba. Lacep. II. xxi. 1, and Amph. Fuligi- 

 nosa, L.) Seb. II. xviii. C. 3, and Ixxiii. 4. Both 

 of South America. They live on insects, and often 

 remain near ant-hills. This gives rise to the popu- 

 lar belief that they live on the large ants. These 

 amphisboena are oviparous.* 



There is one of Martinique entirely blind. {Amp, 

 Coeca. Cuv.t) 



The Leposternons, Spix, are amphisbenae, the 

 anterior part of whose trunk has underneath a union 

 of some plates which interrupt the rings. They 

 have no pores in front of the anus. Their head is 

 short. Their muzzle a little advanced.1: 



Typhlops, Schn.,11 



Have the body covered with small imbricated scales. 



* Amp. Flavescem, Pr. Max, 9th book. 



■\ May not this be A. Vermicularis ? Spix, xxv. 2. He says oculi vix 

 conspicui. I can discover none : he uses the same expression for his A. 

 Oxyura. 



if Lep, Microcephalus, Spix ; or Amphis Punctata, Pr. Max. 



11 Ti.>pxo4 TuiAivt) {blind), were the names of the snake among the Greeks. 

 Spix has changed this name into Stenostona. 



