PRIMARY GROUPS OF THE SERPENTS. 139 



mistook the one family for the other, and M. Cuvier 

 makes them, two large divisions of one great group. 

 Although the Crotalidce are most typical from their 

 venomous powers, yet their number are vastly inferior 

 to the Coluheridce, or true snakes, where the species 

 appear almost innumerable, and where, in consequence, 

 we have more variations of form than in any other 

 similar group. We quit these, in all probability, by 

 the genus Tortrix of Oppel^ and enter among the 

 slow-worms, aptly named Ophidosauri, but which con- 

 sistency in nomenclature obliges us to term Anguidce : 

 here we at once perceive that nature is about to assume 

 a new garb. We have serpents possessing the first 

 rudiments of feet by concealed clavicles beneath their 

 skin, and others which exhibit, on dissection, an im- 

 perfect pelvis, a small sternum, and a clavicle : they 

 are, in fact, as M. Cuviei? happily expresses it, '^ seps, 

 or lizards without feet." It is therefore from this 

 point of the ophidian circle that nature branches off 

 to the true lizards, and this by a route so obvious and 

 beautiful, that its direction has never been questioned. 

 The Amphishcenae present us with a singular departure 

 from other serpents^ in having the eyes so slightly 

 developed that one species {^A. cosed) is entirely blind. 

 Now, the only Amphibia which show a similar tendency 

 to blindness, are the Ccecilidce, which are placed by 

 Mr. Bell, in his circular arrangement of the Amphibia, 

 precisely in that station which corresponds to the 

 AmphishcenidcB These, therefore, being connected to 

 the Anguidw on one side, and to the HydrophidcB upon 

 the other, complete the series ; and the circle of the 

 ophidian reptiles is thus closed. 



(139.) The analogies of these groups to those of 

 the Vertehrata may be slightly glanced at. It is ob- 

 vious that the CrotalidcB, being the most typical, repre- 

 sent the quadrupeds among vertebrated animals, the order 

 FercB among Mammalia, and that of Raptores among 

 birds : the aquatic orders of CetcB, Natatores, and the 

 class of fish, find their analogy in the HydrophidcB j or 



