Royal Physical Society. 



183 



277 



n body there are 



23 rows of 28 scales 644 



... 



3 



.. 27 .. 



81 





33 



.. 26 .. 



858 





29 



.. 24 .. 



696 





3 



.. 23 .. 



69 





27 . 



. . 22 . . 



594 



Ending in cloaca 



5 



.. 16 .. 



80 



Below cloaca 



13 



.. 14 .. 



182 





3 



.. 13 .. 



39 





60 



.. 12 .. 



720 





7 



.. 11 .. 



77 





43 



... 10 .. 



430 





8 



9 .. 



72 





4 



8 .. 



32 





1 



7 .. 



7 





2 



6 .. 



12 





1 



2 . 



2 





1 



1 .. 



1 



3022 



1574 



4873 



This is the result of the examination of only one individual. 



Of the body scales, those of the neck are smallest and most 

 numerous, admitting, consequently, of considerable expansion — 

 a condition particularly suited to the requirements of the ani- 

 mal, which swallows its food entire, and often gorges slugs of 

 a size greatly disproportioned to its apparent capacity. 



Though not very evident to the eye that the scales of the 

 body differ much in size, the fact is established. In a slough 

 minutely examined, there were in one portion of the body 29 

 rows of 24 scales each ; at the upper part it measured 22, and 

 at the lowest 20J lines. Above the cloaca there were found 

 27 rows of 22 scales each ; at the upper portion it measured 

 20J, and at the lower 17 lines. In the tail there were 60 rows 

 of 12 scales each ; the upper row measured 14, and the under 

 12 lines. Still lower in the tail there were 43 rows of 10 scales 

 each, the upper row being 12, and the lower 8J lines. In 

 sloughing, all the scales of the body are thrown off, including 

 those of the eyelid ; but the eyeball does not, though a common 

 belief, cast a film as part of the slough, as occurs in serpents. 



5. Fragility. — Nature, always bountiful in her provisions 

 for defence or preservation, has given to the Anguis fragilis 

 one which, if repulsive to mere observers, is no doubt that 

 best fitted to its peculiar character. It does not bite, — at least 



