16 TYPHLOPID^. 



Snout strongly projecting, with angular horizontal edge ; nostrils 

 lateral. Eostral very large, about three fifths the width of the 

 head ; nasal semidivided, the cleft proceeding from the second labial ; 

 a single large shield (the ocular) on each side behind the nasal ; 

 eyes hidden; upper head-scales scarcely enlarged; four upper 

 labials. Diameter of body about 50 times in the total length; 

 tail nearly twice as long as broad, ending in a spine. 18 scales 

 round the body. Uniform dark brown ; head black. 



Total length 180 millim. 



Eah. ? 



4. Typhlops braminus. 



Russell, Ind. Serp. i. pi. xliii. (1796). 



Eryx braminus, Baud. Rept. vii. p. 279 (1803). 



Tortrix ruasellii, Merr. Tent. p. 84 (1820). 



Typhlops braminus, Cuv. R. A. 2nd ed. ii. p. 73 (1829) ; Bum. 8( 



Bibr. Ti. p. 309 (1844) ; Jan, Icon. Gin. p. 12, 1. 3, pis. iv. & v. 



%. 16 (1864) ; Gunth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 175, pi. xvi. fig. 1 (1864) ; 



Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1865, p. 263 ; Blanf. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 



xxxix. 1870, p. 370 ; Stoliezha, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xl. 1871, p. 425 ; 



Theob. Cat. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 125 (1876) ; Boettg. Abh. Senck. 



Ges. xi. 1879, p. 469, pi. i. %. 1 ; Peters, Reise n. Mossamh. iii. 



p. 91 (1882) ; Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 374 (1884) ; Bmlmg. Faun. 



Ind., Rept. p. 236 (1890). 



russellii, ScUeg. AbUld. p. 39 (1844). 



Argyrophis truncatus, Gray, Cat. Liz. p. 138 (1845). 



bramicus, Gray, I. c. 



Onychocephalus capensis. Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., Rept. pi. li. 



fig. 3, & pi. liv.figs. 9-16 (1845). 

 ? Ophthalmidium tenue. Sallow. Proc. Ac. Philad. 1860, p. 497. 

 Typhlopa inconspicuus, Jan, Eleneo, p. 11 (1863). 



tenuis (non Salv.), Giinth. op. cit. p. 176, pi. xvi. fig. C. 



pammeces, Giinth. op. cit. p. 444 ; Theob. op. cit. p. 125. 



reuteri, Boettg. Zool. Anz. 1881, p. 650. 



? Typhlopa lenzi, Boettg. Zool. Anz. 1882, p. 478. 

 Typhlops euproctus, Boettg. I. c. p. 479. 



Rostral narrow, its upper portion hardly one third the width of 

 the head, not extending quite to the level of the eyes ; nostril 

 between two nasals, the anterior (lower) of which extends to the 

 upper surface of the head and is in contact inferiorly with the prse- 

 ocular ; praefrontal nearly as large as the ocular, in contact with 

 the second and third labials ; eyes distinct ; upper head-scales a 

 little larger than the scales on the body ; four upper labials. 

 Diameter of body 35 to 55 times in the total length ; tail as long 

 as or a little longer than broad, ending in a spine. 20 scales 

 round the body. Brown or blackish above, lighter inferiorly ; 

 snout, anal region, and end of tail usually whitish. 



Total length 175 millim. 



South Asia ; islands of the Indian Ocean ; Africa south of the 

 Equator. 



