in the earth, inhabiting holes, which it bores, and which it enlarges with its muzzle. It comes up for the purpose of breathing, raising its head above the surface of the earth in which it has established its retreat. It does this sometimes in winter, though snow may be on the ground. I have found it early in the spring under moss and stones."

When irritated, or alarmed, the Slow-worm, by a forcible contraction of all the muscles of its body, becomes perfectly stiff, and then breaks in two with the slightest blow, or upon any attempt to bend it. Hence the term fragilis, (brittle,) given to it by Linnæus. This stiffening is the only manifestation of anger which it displays, at least, generally; we have often taken hold of this Reptile, and carried it about, without its making any effort to bite; which, when much irritated, it will certainly do; but, even then, so small is its mouth, and so feeble are its teeth, that it cannot inflict any injury. M. Latreille says, its food consists of worms, beetles, frogs, small rats, and, as it is said, even toads. This is a mistake. Mr. Bell informs us, that he repeatedly offered, but in vain, young frogs to the Blind-worms, which he kept alive: they refused even insects. With regard to frogs and rats, it is absolutely impossible for the Slow-worm to swallow them. It does, however, feed on insects, earth-worms, and slugs; being particularly partial to the latter. Mr. George Daniel, in Mr. Bennett's edition of "White's Selborne," gives us the following interesting account :—

"A Blind-worm, that I kept alive for nine weeks, would, when touched, turn and bite, although not very sharply: its bite was not sufficient to draw blood, but it always retained its hold until released. It drank sparingly of milk, raising the head when drinking. It fed upon the little white slug, so common in fields and gardens, eating six or seven of them, one after the other. It invariably took them in one position. Elevating its head slowly above its victim, it would suddenly seize the

slug by the middle, in the same way that a ferret, or dog, will, generally, seize a rat by the loins. It would then hold it thus, sometimes for more than a minute, when it would pass its prey through its jaws, and swallow the slug head foremost. It refused the larger slugs, and would not touch either young frogs or mice. Snakes kept in the same cage took both frogs and mice. The Blind-worm avoided the water; the Snakes, on the contrary, coiled themselves in a pan containing water, which was put into the cage, and appeared to delight in it. The Blind-worm was a remarkably fine one, measuring fifteen inches in length. It cast its slough while in my possession; the skin came off in separate pieces, the peeling from the head being completed the last.”

Mr. Bell observes, that the shedding of the skin of the Blind-worm takes place as in the true snakes. It is, in fact, taken off in one piece, when the animal is at liberty, and strong enough to effect it; and like those Reptiles," it leaves the skin turned inside out, attached to brushwood, or other substances, which it has employed to entangle and secure, as it was coming off." The truth of this statement we can attest.

The Blind-worm produces its young alive, in the month of June, or July: they amount to ten or twelve in number, and are soon active and lively.

The general colour of this animal is yellowish brown, or yellowish grey, with a pearly lustre; a dark, or black line runs down the middle of the back, and one or two parallel rows of small, dark spots down each side; but these are not always to be seen. The under parts are of a bluish black, with whitish reticulations.

GENUS ACONTIAS.

From the genus Anguis is separated the genus Acontias, in which the muzzle, which is conical, is sheathed in a large, single case, or horny masque; on each side of which open the nostrils. The tongue, as in the Blindworm, is flat, and like an arrow-head, with scarcely any