146 



MR. A. LOVERIDGE ON 



from the East African coast I believe, as it was described from 

 three specimens collected in Barotseland by the Rev. L. Jalla. 

 Type in the British Museum. 



A male and half-a-dozen females were taken at Lumbo, 

 P.E.A., between August 20th and October 31st, 1918. The 

 male measured 15^ inches (346"44 mm.) and the largest female 

 19 i inches (440-50 mm.). 



By Europeans and natives alike this strange creature was 

 called a snake. It is decidedly more like a tlesh-coloured worm 

 than a lizard. In life the skin is loose and moves freely over the 

 body; it is so transparent that one may see the pulsation of blood 

 in the blood-vessels. The scales, which are almost square in out- 

 line, are united in rings around the body. Tlie eye is barely 

 distinguishable as a small black speck. The little Avhite tongue 

 is continually extruded from the mouth after the manner of 

 snakes. The mouth is situated on the lower surface as in bur- 

 rowing snakes [Typhlojys), but not so pronouncedly as in sharks. 

 Tiie rostral shield is enormously developed and spade-like. The 

 tail is abruptly truncated, ending in a bone-like knob or shield, 

 doubtless developed for the same purpose as the terminal shield 

 characteristic of the Indian burrowing snakes of the family 

 Uropeltidfe. 



Two specimens taken at the end of August contained 4 eggs 

 each; these measured 35 x 10 mm. and 35x9 mm. respectively. 

 Another specimen laid 4 eggs either during the night or in the 

 early morning of September 20th. ISTo two of these eggs were 

 of the same size : their measurements in millimetres were as 

 follows :— 35 X 8, 32 X 8, 30 x 9, 26 x 9. 



No trace of food was found in the stomachs of any of the 

 specimens. 



At 2.15 in the afternoon of September 1st I w\as called to catch 

 a "snake"; the sun was beating fiercel}^ upon the sand at the 

 time. The "snake" proved to be one of these lizards, which had 

 come to the surface and was wriggling about on the scorching 

 sand. On drawing out the last few inches of the creature which 

 still remained in the sand, the cause of its appearance upon the 

 surface at such an uncongenial hour was apparent. Its vent and 

 tail was smothered in ants of a subtf^rranean species, which I liave 

 previously noted will eat a dead body from beneath, but appears 

 to hate the light. 



At 3 P.M. on September 20th I obtained another specimen 

 under precisely similar conditions, though in this case the lizard 

 was wriggling along the surface of the ground, leaving a trail of 

 ants behind it, while only a few were still clinging tenaciously to 

 its tail. 



The following morning yet another was brought to me. It had 

 severe haemorrhage in the intestinal region, and died during the 

 day. As it was found above ground, I have no doubt that it was 

 also a victim of the voracious ants. 



