20 Rough Stusip-tail. REPTILES. Bridled Sphaenops. 
food of the Slow-worm consists of insects, worms, and 
sings, the latter of which seems its favourite article of 
SNAKE-LIKE LIZARDS. 
diet. A Slow-worm kept in captivity for some time by 
Immediately following the true Scinks, in Dr. Gray’s 
Mr. Daniel, was observed to feed chiefly upon the little 
arrangement, there succeed a series of families of 
white slug, so common in fields and gardens. “ It 
snake-like Lizards, many of which have been, and by 
invariably took them in one position. Elevating its 
some authors are still, arranged amongst the serpents. 
head slowly above its victim, it would suddenly seize 
The feet are often altogether wanting, and the body 
the slug by the middle, in the same way that a ferret 
resembles that of a snake ; but the structure of the 
or dog will generally seize a rat by the loins. It would 
scales of the head and muzzle, the firm manner in 
then hold it thus, sometimes for more than a minute. 
which the bones of the head are united, and the small- 
when it would pass its prey through its jaws, and 
ness of the mouth, which they cannot open wide like 
swallow the slug head foremost.” * This reptile is. 
the true Serpents, distinguish them from these reptiles. 
like our common Nimble Lizard, ovoviviparous. The 
They evidently, however, form a sort of connecting 
young are hatched before they come into the world. 
link between the Lizards and Snakes. 
and the number produced at one birth varies from 
Such are the Ophiomores {OphiomoriclcB), and a 
seven to twelve or thirteen. They become very active 
family as yet represented by only one species — 
almost immediately after they are born, and soon learn 
The Seps family (Sepsidm) which contains several 
to feed upon small soft insects, and probably small 
species, resembling in general form the Slow-worm, 
worms, snails, or slugs. 
except that they possess limbs, though weak, far apart, 
In the second group, or those species which have 
and more or less rudimentary in structure. The body 
the scales thick, bony, rugose, and keeled or striated. 
is cyclindrical and elongate, and covered with round 
the legs are generally strong, and the body fusiform. 
imbricated scales. The tongue is short, thick, and 
Amongst them are the curious-looking creatures called 
nicked at the tip, and the eyes are distinct, and pro- 
Stump-tails {Trnchydosaurm), natives of Australia. 
vided with eyelids. 
In them the body is thick, spindle-shaped, and the 
The genus Sph^nops, belonging to this latter family. 
back rather flattened on each side. The scales are 
has a wedge-shaped head, and its elongate body is 
thick, convex, rugose, imbricate, and those of the 
angular below. 
under side crenulated round the hinder edge. The tail 
THE BRIDLED SPHAIHOPS {S. capistrafus), the only 
is short, convex, covered with large eon vex scales like 
species known, is about the size of a small slow-worm. 
the back, and rapidly tapering at the end. 
of a pale brown colour, with several series of black dots 
THE ROUGH STUMP-TAIL {T. rugosus) is of con- 
arranged longitudinally along the body, and a black 
siderable size, and is of a pale brown colour, with 
streak on each side of the muzzle. It is a native of 
broad, rather irregular, yellow cross bands. It is the 
Egypt, over which it is widely dispersed. M. A. 
species here represented — fig. 8. 
Fi. 
Lefebure found it very abundantly in the oasis of 
j.a 
Rough Stump-tail (Trachydosaurus rugosus). 
Bahrieh, on the little ridges of the rice-fields, at the 
Egypt. M. Lefebure found it embalmed and placed in 
foot of the hedges which border the habitations, or on 
a small coffin of sycamore wood, ornamented with some 
the edge of the wheel- ruts in the miry roads in the 
degree of taste, in the neighbourhood of Thebes. It 
valleys. According to him it burrows, but very super- 
seemed to have been embalmed with considerable care, 
ficially, in the soil, the least sinking of it produced by 
and it is the only reptile, with the exception of the 
the feet of the passer-by discovering its retreat. Its 
Crocodile, that has been found as a mummy in Egypt. 
motions are very active, but it allows itself to be taken 
The genus Seps, which gives its name to the family, 
very easily, without its ever trying to defend itself. 
has a pyramidal-shaped head, and a conical simple 
But one of the most curious parts of its history is, that 
muzzle. The body is cylindrical, elongate, and the 
it has been found, like the Crocodile, as a mummy in 
^ Seps— a name anciently applied to one of the species by 
jElian and Pliny — derived from the Greek word, sejjo (irjiirai), 
• Bennet’s Edition of White’s Selbome. 
to putrefy. 
