248 CLASS REPTILIA. 



like the snakes, with which they were for a long 

 time classified, the muzzle advanced and furnished 

 with plates, the tongue rather long and forked, the 

 eye a sort of point, hardly visible through the skin, 

 and the anus almost entirely at the extremity of the 

 body. One lung is four times larger than the other. 

 These are small serpents, which, on a careless glance, 

 resemble earth-worms. Their species are to be 

 found in the hot climates of both continents.* 



There are some whose head is of one piece with 

 the body, and obtuse. They resemble the ends of 

 slender packthread. f 



The majority have the muzzle depressed and 

 obtuse, and furnished with several plates in front.t 



In some, the front of the muzzle is covered with 

 a single large plate, with an interior edge, a little 

 trenchant.il 



Finally, there is one whose muzzle is terminated 

 by a small conical point, and which is entirely blind. 



* I have not teen able to discover any teeth in those which I have ex- 

 amined. 



t T. Braminus, Nob. or Rondas Talaloopam, Russ. Serp. Corom, 

 xliii. or Eryx Braminus, Daud. or Tortrix Russelii, Merr. 



t Ang. Reticulatus, Schn. Phys. Sacr, pi. DCCXXLVII. 4 ; TypUops 

 Septemstriatus., Schn. T. Undecemstriatus, Nob. T. Cinereius, Sch. T. 

 Crocotatus, id. T. Leucorhom, Oppel, &c. Seb. I. vi. 4. is a species of 

 this division. 



II Anguis Lumiricalis, Lacep. II. pi. xx. Brown. Jam. xliv. 1. Seba, I. 

 Ixxxvi. 2. P. AlUfrons, 0pp. As in all genera where the species are very 

 similar, authors have not well determined the difFerent typhlops, and a 

 monograph of this genus would be desirable. We are acquainted with 

 about twenty species. 



