amphisbæna

[Lat., from Gr. ἀμφίσ βaiva (a mph isba in a) = a serpent found in Libya, fabled to have two heads, and in consequence to be able to move equally well in either direction. Gr. ἀμφίς ( amphis ) = at or on both sides; βαίνω ( baino ) = to walk, to step.] 1. Myth . The fabled snake of the Greeks and Romans just described. "With complicated monsters head and tail, Scorpion and asp and amphisbæna dire." Milton: P. L., bk. x., 523-4. 2. Zool . A serpent-like genus of lizards, formerly cla ed with the Ophidia. The species are American. They feed on insects, and are often seen in the vicinity of ant-hills. ăm-phis-bæ'-ni-dæ, s . pl . [From the typical genus Amphisbæna (q.v.).] The family of Saurians, of which the genus Amphisbæna is the type. They are cylindrical, vermiform animals, with their heads no thicker than their necks, and their tails exceedingly short. Their eyes are small, and sometimes concealed. Only in the genus Chirotes are there visible limbs. Most of the species come from America.