22 THE LAND-MARKS OF 



towards every creature in the shape of a snake 

 however innocent." These poor little "blind 

 worms, admirably organized to dig and burrow 

 and find their food in deep and hidden places, 



have their uses We must note one other 



of the family of burrowing snakes which, from 

 the very earliest ages, have been suppositiously 

 endowed with two heads. Its name, Amphis- 

 bcBna, or double walker (going both ways^, how- 

 ever, is well merited, because like Typhlops, it 

 can progress either way, forwards or backwards, 



with equal facility Of this harmless and 



useful reptile Pliny seriously wrote : ' The 

 ATTiplisbcena has two heads, that is, it has a 

 second one at its tail, as though one mouth were 

 too little for the discharge of all its venom ! " 

 One cannot help thinking that Pliny must have 

 met at least one of the human species whose 

 " mouth was too little for the discharge of all 

 his venom," but it is doubtful whether he credit- 

 ed him with possessing too much head. 



The bite, a The manner in which functions of the various 



very com- 

 plex Mt. parts concerned combine to effect a poisonous 



bite is certainly remarkable. The act, appar- 

 ently simple in itself, consists really of a serious 

 of complex acts following rapidly one upon an- 



