591 



AMPHISBiENA. AMPHISBiENA. 



Generic Character. 



Corpus teres, sequale. 

 Annuli trunci caudseque. 



Body cylindric, equal. 



Annular divisions both on 

 body and tail. 



WHITE AMPIilSB^NA. 



Amphisbsena Alba. A. tota alba. 

 Amphisbaena entirely white. 



Amphisbsena alba. Liii. Syst. Nat. p. 393. Mus, Ad. Frid, 



p. 20. t. e.f. 2. 

 Serpens Cagcilia Americana. Seh. 2. p. 25. t. 2^.f. 1. 



TTh E remarkable genus Amphisbaena, much al- 

 lied to that of Ajiguis, and even, in some degree, 

 to that of Lacerta, is very readily distinguished 

 by the manner in which the exterior surface of 

 its skin is marked into well-defined numerous 

 circles or rings completely surrounding the body, 

 and divided in a longitudinal direction by still 

 more numerous strait lines; thus forming so many 

 square or parallelogrammic scales. Only two 

 species of this genus have hitherto been disco- 

 vered, of which the present is the largest, mea- 

 suring from fifteen or eighteen inches to two feet 



