194 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XT. 



Family Typhlopidce (Nos. 1 and 2),— Agrees with Dr. 

 Gunther's family of the same name. They are worm-like 

 snakes without mental groove or ventral shields. 



Family Boidce (No. 3). — Dr. Gunther's Pythonidce, but 

 placed in a very different position, being removed from after 

 the Colubridce to a place in front of them. They possess 

 vestiges of hind limbs. 



" In the Typhlopidce rudiments of hind limbs are hidden 

 beneath the skin." (Gunther.) " A single pelvic bone." 

 (Boulenger.) And in the Tortricidce (Gunther), Ilysiidce 

 (Boulenger), " rudiments of hind limbs are hidden in a groove 

 each side of the vent." (Gunther.) "Vestiges of pelvis formed 

 of three or four elements as in the Boidce, and terminating in 

 a claw-like spur usually distinguishable on each side of the 

 vent." (Boulenger.) The python is well known to everybody. 

 It has teeth on the pra3-maxillary bones, and its tail is 

 prehensile. 



Family Ilysiidce (No. 4). — The Tortricidce of Dr. Gunther. 

 Worm-like snakes with a mental groove, but no ventrals and 

 rudiments of hind limbs. 



Family Vropeltidce. — The same as Dr. Gunther's family of 

 the same name. Worm-like snakes with truncated tails, 

 generally terminating in a rough naked disc (Nos. 5 to 9). 



Family Calamaridce (Nos. 10 to 14). — As far as this, with 

 the exception of the displacement of the Boidce or Pythonidce, 

 Dr. Gunther's and Dr. Boulenger's families agree, and the 

 termination idee is used for groups that almost all Zoologists 

 recognise by the name of families ; this name expressing 

 anatomical identity, together with outward likeness. Thus, 

 as Agassiz says, any child can tell at sight a skipjack, a 

 devil's coach-horse, a bombardier, a Scarabceid, or a weevil 

 amongst beetles, and they are scientifically known as 

 Elateridce, Staphylinidce, Carabidce, Scarabceidce, Gurcu- 

 Uonidce, and so on. If, however, we are to follow Dr. Boulenger 

 and consider the termination iclce as defining an anatomical 

 group, founded, as in his Colubridce, entirely on the characters 

 of the skull, under which the most heterogeneous forms to 



