11 



GROUP I.— Snakes with no vbntrals. 

 The blind snakes. 



There are two families, two or three genera and nnany 

 fpecies of blind snakes, but there is little interest in exactly 

 identifying them. 



Therefore a general description of a blind snake is 

 given : — 



Length — Small ; from 4 inches or 5 inches to 18 inches. 



Shape — Head : very similar to tail from which it is 

 difficult to distinguish it. The mouth is 

 inferior with no mental groove. 



Body : worm-like and slender, cylindrical and 

 thicker behind. 



Tail : very short and often ends in a minute 

 spine. 



Eye : rudimentary and often invisible, being 

 under the shields. 



Head shields— The head is irregularly and imperfectly 

 shielded. Rostral prolonged backwards ; and 

 on either side of it are -four labials and four 

 largish"^ shields with several small ones behind. 



The details are very difficult to make out in the 

 small blind snakes. 



Scales — About 22 ; they are cycloid and cover the whole 



body and are all the same -size. 

 Ventrals — None. The belly is covered with scales. 

 Colouring — Dark. As a rule, olive- green, brown or 



black. Belly perhaps a little paler. 

 Habitat — Found in various parts of India, but not often: 



seen, as they are burrowing snakes, -rarely 



appearing above ground. 



