THE BLIND SNAKE, 
183 
and all. The larva lays eggs as well as the adult sala- 
mander. 
The Tritons or water-newts, represented by our common, 
pretty spotted newt, Diemyotylus viridescens, are also 
Fig. 229.— Head and tail end of blind-snake (Coecilia). FromLiitken's Zoology. 
known in Europe to lay eggs when larvae, when the gills are 
still present, as has been observed by three different natu- 
ralists. The female larva of another European salamander 
{Lissofrito7i ptmctattis) has also been known to lay eggs. 
Order 4. Gymnoijliiona. — The blind snake with its sev- 
eral allies is the representative 
of this small but interesting 
order. The body is snake-like, 
being long and cylindrical; there 
are no feet and no tail, the vent 
being situated at the blunt end 
of the body. The skin is smooth 
externally, with scales embedded 
in it, but with scale-like trans- 
verse wrinkles. The eyes are 
minute, covered by the skin 
(Fig. 229). The species inhab- 
it the tropics of South America, 
Java, Ceylon, and live like 
earthworms in holes in the 
damp earth, fe<5ding on insect 
larvae. They are larc^e, 2:rowin2j 
Fig. 230. -Young of Coecilia, with i /. ; • i ,? Vv -7. 
t)ie gills, and head of the same SCVCral ICet lU length. CwCllia 
after the gills have been ab- 7 7*«7 ' ^ \ 'l Oi-i 
sorbed. From Liitken's Zoolo- hlVlbriCOldeS inhabits feouth 
America. Coecilia co7npressi- 
Cauda of Surinam is viviparous, the young being born in 
WO-tcr find possessing external gills which are leaf -shaped 
