06 OriliniAN EEPTILES. 



out till it is required to lubricate the dilated jaws and throat for 

 the seemiugiy disproportionate feat.' 



[The small, but very distinct family of Enjckhe have the body 

 of moderate length, cylindrical, covered with small and short 

 scales ; the tail very short, with only a single series of subcaudal 

 scales ; head somewhat elongate ; eye rather sm£ill, with vertical 

 pupil. Adult individuals have, like the Pythons, a short 

 conical prominence in a groove on each side of the vent ; this 

 being the extremity of a rudimentary hind limb. "The Snakes 

 of this family," remarks Dr. Giinther, "shew great similarity to 

 the Pythons and Boas, with regard to their internal structure as 

 well as to their external characters. But their tail is very short, 

 not flexible, and much less prehensile; and whilst the Serpents 

 just mentioned are more or less arboreal, frequenting marshy 

 places with luxuriant vegetation, the Erycida inhabit dry, sandy, 

 or stony plains, bun-owing with the greatest facility below the 

 surface, and entering crevices and holes in search of their prey, 

 which consists of Mice, Lizards, and other burrowing Snakes. 

 Probably they are semi-nocturnal, and able to see in dark places 

 as well as in the night. They are found in Northern Africa, in 

 the islands of the Mediterranean, in the arid parts of India, and 

 probabl)r in Arabia ; two species are known to have been brought 

 from Sikhim." 



The Cursoria elecjans is said to be from Afghanistan ; Eryx 

 kicidas inhabits Gi'cece and Egypt ; and there is also E. thtjbaicus 

 in the latter country, and E. JoJadt in India. Another Indian 

 species is the Gon-iyiopldi conicus, which the natives erroneously 

 persist in declaiing to be venomous. The Eryx Joliidl is fre- 

 quently fomid in the jDossession of the serpent charmers of its 

 native country, who mutilate the end of its short, thick tail iu 

 such a manner that the scarred extremity somewhat resembles the 

 form of the head. Such specimens are shewn as deadly Two-headed 

 Snakes, and, as such, are occasionally brought alive to Europe. 

 An examples of this species lived in the Ijondon Zoological 

 Gardens for about eight years, and fed regularly on young Mice. 

 The keeper assured Dr. Giinther that it frequentlv covered its 

 prey with saliva. It always kept itself hidden below the gravel 



