. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. CHEIROTES, OR HAND-EARED LIZARD. 39 In speaking of this reptile, Stedman has the following remarks: -'This is the snake which, supposed blind, and vulgarly said to be fed by the large ants, is in this country hon- ored with the name of King of the Emmets. The flesh of the Amphisbcena, diied and reduced to a fine powder, is confidently administered as a sovereign and infallible remedy in all cases of dislocation and broken bones, it being very naturally inferred that an animal which has t
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. CHEIROTES, OR HAND-EARED LIZARD. 39 In speaking of this reptile, Stedman has the following remarks: -'This is the snake which, supposed blind, and vulgarly said to be fed by the large ants, is in this country hon- ored with the name of King of the Emmets. The flesh of the Amphisbcena, diied and reduced to a fine powder, is confidently administered as a sovereign and infallible remedy in all cases of dislocation and broken bones, it being very naturally inferred that an animal which has the power of healing an eutii-e amputation in its own ease, should at least be able to cure a simple fracture in the case of ; This process of reasoning alludes to a cui-ious popular error respecting the Amphisbfena. The people of the countries which it inhabits believe that, if one of these reptiles is cut in two, each half, being furnished with a separate head, hastens to its fellow-part, and neatly fitting the severed surfaces, repairs the breach, and is soon restored to its original condition. It is rather a dull and sluggish animal when exposed to light, crawling slowly upon the ground, twisting itself lazily about, and opening its mouth in a purposeless kind of fashion^ without any delinite intention of biting or escaping. The color of the Sooty Amphisbsena is rather variable, but consists of black and white. Its length is about three feet. The AVhite Amphisbgena {AvipJtisbwna alba) belongs also to this genus. It is of a white color, and remarkable for a little pellucid dot in the front edge of each scale. Closely allied to this creature is another reptile, very appropriately called the Chei- KOTES, or Haxd-eared Lizard {Chetrbtes lumbricoides). This is a native of Brazil, and, as far as is known, is of subterranean habits, like the amphisbfena. The Cheirotes is the only example of all the amphisbaenas that possesses extei-nal limbs, and even in this instance
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
