. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. TUE SHOET-TAILED SSAKES. S35 The sub-family of the Boas also contains the Tree Boa of South America,* Mexico, and the West Ijulies, anil two other genera of West Indian Snakes. These are represented by the Pale-headed Tree Boa of Cubaf and the Yellow Snake of Jamaica. % FAMILY ERYCIDiE—THE SAND SNAKES. These resemble the Pythons and Boas in their internal and in most external characters, but their tail is short and not flexible or prehensile, and the head is hardly distinct from the neck. They are not arboreal, but frequent sandy or dry pl
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. TUE SHOET-TAILED SSAKES. S35 The sub-family of the Boas also contains the Tree Boa of South America,* Mexico, and the West Ijulies, anil two other genera of West Indian Snakes. These are represented by the Pale-headed Tree Boa of Cubaf and the Yellow Snake of Jamaica. % FAMILY ERYCIDiE—THE SAND SNAKES. These resemble the Pythons and Boas in their internal and in most external characters, but their tail is short and not flexible or prehensile, and the head is hardly distinct from the neck. They are not arboreal, but frequent sandy or dry places and plains, burrowing easily beneath the surface, and entering crannies and holes in search of their prey, which consists of mice, lizards, and other burrowing snakes. They move with great rapidity. They are nocturnal, more or less, and are found in Northern Africa, South Europe, and the islands of the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, Hindostan, Sikkim, and part of Arabia. THE FAMILY OF SHORT-TAILED SNAKES, OR ROLLERS.—THE TORTRICID^. The Snakes of this family are cylindrical in shape, and rather rigid in their bodies. The}' have a small, conical, stumpy tail, a short and indistinct head, and little teeth, some being on the palatine bones, and the scales are smooth. They have a rudimentaiy pelvis with horny spines jn-ojecting close to the vent, and there are relics of the hind limbs. One species has teeth on the pre-maxillary bones, like a Python, as well as on the usual bones. This is Tortrix scytale, which inhabits Guiana. It is a small, innocuous Snake, which lives above ground in boggy places, preying on worms, insects, and small reptiles. Probably it cannot swallow anything large, as the quadi-ate bone is articulated directly with the skull, the squamosal being rudimentary. Another genus of the family is represented in Java by the Red Cylindrophis; but this Snake has no teeth on the pre-maxillaiies. It is made a pet of, and sometimes worn as an ornament. Finally, in the
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