THE 



ROSE- COLOURED AMPHISBiENA. 



Generic Character. 



The whole animal marked by annuli or circular 

 fegments. 



Specific Character, 



AMPHISBjENA with the annuli of the body 

 amounting to about 223 ; of the tail 16. 



The animals of the genus Amphifbzena, which con- - 

 tains but very few fpecies, differ fo much from the ma- 

 jor part of the ferpent tribe, as to be almoft liable, on a 

 curfory view, to be miftaken for worms rather than 

 fnakes ; being totally deftitute of fcales ; inftead of 

 which the whole animal is marked with equidiftant an- 

 nuli, or circular fpaces furrounding the body, and de- 

 cuflated by an infinite number of longitudinal divifions 

 or ftrise. The head is marked with a few large divifions 

 or fpaces analogous to the large fcales in the major part 

 of the genus Coluber ; and the tail, inftead of tapering 

 gradually, is fcarce diftinguifhable from the proportion 

 of the reft of the body ; and is extremely obtufe or 

 rounded. This peculiarity of fhape in the genus Am- 

 philbama, gave rife to the erroneous idea of the Am- 

 phifbama being furniihed with a head at each extre- 

 mity : 



