592 WHITE AMPHISB^NA. 



or more in length, and being of a considerable 

 thickness in proportion : its form is equally cy- 

 lindric throughout ; the head, which is covered 

 with large scales, being of scarce greater diameter 

 than the body, and the tail, which is very short, 

 terminating in a rounded extremity. The colour of 

 this species is white, but in some specimens tinged 

 with pale rose-colour, while in others the head 

 and back incline to a pale yellowish or brownish 

 cast : the head is very short, the eyes very small, 

 the snout obtuse, the mouth of moderate width, 

 the teeth short, strong, not very sharply pointed, 

 and constituting a single row of about fourteen 

 or sixteen in each jaw : the tongue is very large, 

 broad, thick, flattish, and bifid only at the tip, 

 the surface of the base appearing scaly : the tail, 

 in specimens of about two feet, is scarcely more 

 than two inches ^ in length : the usual number of 

 circles in this snake is observed to be about two 

 hundred and twenty- three on the body, and six- 

 teen on the tail. It is a native of South Ame- 

 rica, where it is found in woods, preying on in- 

 sects, worms, Sec. It is a harmless animal, but it 

 is said that on handling it for some time the skin 

 becomes affected with a slight itching, accom- 

 panied by small pustules, owing to an acrimoni- 

 ous moisture, exsuding from the animal. 



* In the Museum Adolphi Friderici the tail of this species is 

 niistakenly said to be a sixth part of tlie whole length instead of 

 ^ twelfth. 



