100 False Lizards. REPTILES. Fai.sb Snakes. 
by two rudimentary toes. The Congo Snake has re- 
stomachs. Sometimes, like eels, they are found on dry 
ceived its name from the negroes, who erroneously 
land, but for what purpose they approach it is unknown.” 
regard it as exceedingly venomous. It lives in muddy 
Mr. Harlan tells us, that an individual in the possession 
waters or in mud, being found sometimes three feet 
of Dr. Mease escaped from the vessel in which it was 
deep in mud of the consistence of mortar, and bur- 
confined, and when found several days afterwards was 
rowing in it like the earth-worm. “ They inhabit the 
brisk and lively. They pass the winter season in the 
ditches of our rice-fields,” says Holbrook, “ and feed on 
mud, collecting together at that time in great numbers. 
small fish and various fresh-water-shells, as unios, &c. 
and remain in a state of torpidity till the spring. The 
beetles and other insects have also been found in their 
other species possesses little interest. 
Order III, — FALSE or NAKED SNAKES (Pseudophidia). 
The animals belonging to this order, though essen- 
ground for placing this family amongst the former 
tially amphibious, have a strong resemblance to ser- 
group. Little is known with regard to their general 
pents. They are destitute of legs, and have an elongate, 
habits ; but they have been observed to bury them- 
cylindrical body, and the smooth, wrinkled skin has 
selves in the moist earth or soft mud of the marshes. 
minute scales embedded in its substance. The tail is 
piercing through it like worms, often to the depth of 
very short, and the vent opens at the extremity of the 
many feet. They creep slowly on the ground, and 
body. The vertebrae or bones of the spinal column 
when in the water swim like eels, striking to the right 
resemble very much in their articulation those of fishes ; 
and left with their tails. 
they have short ribs, and no sternum or breastbone. 
THE GLUTINOUS CAICILIA {Ccecilia or Ichthy- 
The opening for the gills on the side of the neck is 
ophis glutinosus) is a native of Ceylon, It is some- 
closed in the adults, but is open, according to the 
what spindle-shaped, with a depressed, elongate head. 
observation of the celebrated anatomist Muller, in 
and a blunt muzzle. The eyes are distinct, and the 
young individuals. In these it was found, that in the 
teeth are slender, acute, and hooked. Sir James 
opening on each side of the neck there were to be seen 
Emerson Tennent particularly notices this animal in his 
black-coloured fringes, or a kind of gills, apparently 
“ History of Ceylon.” “ The Rocky Jungle,” he says. 
fixed to branches of the hyoid bone or base of the 
“ bordering the higher coffee estates, provides a safe 
tongue, and that the gill openings freely communicated 
retreat for a very singular animal, introduced about a 
with the mouth. 
century ago to the notice of European naturalists by 
There is only one family, and the species belonging 
Linnaeus, who gave it the name of Ccecilia glutinosa, 
to it are few in number. This family, CiECiLiiD^, is 
indicatory of two peculiarities manifest to the ordinary 
distinguished, in addition to the characters given 
observer — an apparent defect of vision, from the eyes 
above, by the skin being covered with a viscous secre- 
being so small and imbedded as to be scarcely dis- 
tion, and marked by a series of rings or annular fur- 
tinguishable ; and a power of secreting from minute 
rows. The head is depressed ; the eyes, beneath the 
pores in its skin a viscous fluid, resembling that of 
skin, are either minute or very indistinct, if not alto- 
snails, eels, and some salamanders. Specimens are 
gether wanting ; the tongue is thick, velvety, of a 
rare in Europe, from the readiness with which the 
round form, and, besides the true external nostrils. 
frame of the animal decomposes after death, breaking 
there is a little pit or depression, termed a false nostril. 
down into a flaky mass in the spirits in which it is 
generally placed beneath the former. They possess 
attempted to be preserved. The creature is about the 
teeth both on the jaws and the palate. The species 
length and thickness of an ordinary round desk ruler. 
so nearly resemble serpents, that Cuvier retained 
a little flattened before and rounded behind. It is 
them among the Ophidians, forming a separate section 
brownish, with a pale stripe along each side. The 
for their reception under the title of “ Naked serpents 
skin is furrowed into three hundred and fifty circular 
and Dumeril and Bibron, and other naturalists, consider 
folds, in which are imbedded minute scales. The head 
them as forming a link between the Amphibia and 
is tolerably distinct, with a double row cf fine curved 
Ophidia, or Snakes. Muller’s discovery, however, of 
teeth for seizing the insects and worms on which it is 
the existence of gills in the young animals, is sufficient 
supposed to live.” 
Order IV.— PEKENNIBEANCHIATE AMPHIBIA (Meantia). 
The animals referred to this order of Amphibia are 
true lungs ; so that on dry land the}^ can respire 
very remarkable. To them, and them only, truly 
atmospheric air, and in the water extract air from the 
belongs the title amphibious, or creatures possessing. 
liquid element in which they are submerged. They 
as it were, a double life. The branchiae or gills, which 
can thus live at pleasure either in the air or under 
all the species of this class possess in their young or 
water. Their body is elongate, naked, and smooth, 
tadpole state, in the Meantia remain external and well- 
and their tail is compressed. Their legs, which in 
developed during their wdiole life. They also possess 
some species are four, and in others only two in num- 
