OPHJOMORPHA. 127 



Caecilia compressicauda, Dumeril and Bibron. 



Length twenty-five times its greatest diameter ; annuli 

 140 below, incomplete above; muzzle large, rounded at 

 the end ; tongue plane ; -posterior fart of the body consid- 

 erably compressed; color brownish olive throughout; 

 eyes visible. 



Habitat Cayenne. 



This species has been made exceedingly interesting by 

 the researches of Peters. Prior to this M. Leprieur 

 had discovered accidentally that some of the Casciliae 

 were viviparous or ovoviparous, but the species upon 

 which his observations were made was not determined. 

 Peters (15, b) with a female Ceecilia compressicauda 

 which had been captured near Cayenne floating upon 

 the top of the water, determined over again this interest- 

 ing fact. Soon after its capture this animal gave birth 

 to a young one, and upon dissection five others were 

 found in a dilatation of its oviduct. 



The young and the foetuses were from 5.35 to 5.79 

 inches long, and what is very remarkable, were without 

 either anal fringes or branchial apertures, both of which 

 are present in the young Epicrium glutinosum. In this 

 case however, neither internal branchiae nor branchial 

 slits could be discovered. Rather there were present in 

 the nuchal region two vesicles 2.17 inches long, of irreg- 

 ular form, and with their narrow, transverse bases in 

 connection. These receive a vascular trunk, and che 



