128 OPHIOMORPHA. 



same ramifies over their surfaces, and in the scars left 

 by the vesicles in detaching themselves there remains a 

 small hole on each side of the neck, and to this as an 

 opening runs a vessel or pair of vessels in communica- 

 tion with the Aortic arch. 



These vesicles are evidently external branchise, and 

 their discovery shows still more closely the relation of 

 these animals to the Amphibians. They recall the ex- 

 ternal branchiae discovered by Wienland in the larval 

 JVotodefyhys ovifera, and show certain interesting rela- 

 tions between the young Cascilians and some of the tree 

 toads. 



The researches of Peters upon this animal are exceed- 

 ingly interesting, because they apparently indicate that 

 this order hitherto so imperfectly understood begin their 

 existence as external, then change to internal gill-breath- 

 ers, and finally replace these by true lungs. 



Ctecilia oxyura, Dumeril and Bibron. 



Length about twenty times its greatest diameter ; an- 

 nuli exceeding 180, part incomplete; muzzle slightly 

 narrowed; tongue without narial valvules; posterior ex T 

 tremity of the body cylindrical, with pointed terminus; 

 eyes visible ; scales small, transparent, striated concen- 

 trically, imbricated and verticillate ; color olive, borders, 

 of annuli yellow. 



Habitat Malabar. 



