THE BLIND SNAKE. 



183 



and all. The kirva lays eggs as well as the adult sala- 

 mander. 



The Tritons or water-newts, represented by our common, 

 pretty spotted newt, Diemydylus viridescens, are also 



Fig. 229.— Head and tail end of blind-snake {Coecilia). FromLiitken's Zoology. 



known in Europe to lay eggs when larvte, when the gills are 

 still present, as has been observed by three different natu- 

 ralists. The female larva of another European salamander 

 [Lissotriton piuictafiis) has also been known to lay eggs. 

 Order 4. GyiniiopJiioua. — The blind snake with its sev- 

 eral allies is the rei)resentative 

 of this small but interesting 

 order. The body is snake-like, 

 being long and cylindrical; there 

 are no feet and no tail, the vent 

 being situated at the blunt end 

 of the body. The skin is smooth 

 externally, with scales embedded 

 in it, but with scale-like trans- 

 verse wrinkles. The eyes are 

 minute, covered by the skin 

 (Fig. 229). The species inhab- 

 it the Iropics of South America, 

 Java, Ceylon, and live like 

 earthworms in holes in the 

 damp earth, feeding on insect 

 larvae. They are large, growing 



Fla. 230. -Young of Cmcilia, with i i j. • i j.i ri -i • 



the gills, and" head of the .same SCVCral ICet in length. CoSCllia 

 after the gills have been ab- , 7--7 -ii-i. o j-i 



sorbed. From Lutken's Zooio- Itimhricoules inhabits feouth 



s^- America. Ccecilia conipressi- 



cauda of Surinam is viviparous, the young being born in 



water and possessing external gills wliich are leaf-shaped 



