TTPHLOPS. 237 



Snout round and moderately projecting; nostrils lateral. Rostral 

 narrow, its upper portion hardly one third the width of the head, 

 not extending quite to the level of the eyes ; nostril between two 

 nasals, the anterior (or lower) of which is in contact with the prse- 

 ocular ; the latter shield nearly as large as the ocular ; eye distinct ; 

 praefrontal, frontal, supraoculars, and parietals a little larger than 

 the scales on the body ; praufrontal in contact with the rostral ; 4 

 upper labials. Diameter of body 35 to 5o times hi the total 

 length ; tail a little longer than broad, ending in a spine. 20 scales 

 round the body. Brown or blackish above, lighter beneath ; snout, 

 anal region, and end of tail usually whitish. 



Total length 7 inches. 



Ucib. This is the commonest species, distributed all over India 

 and its dependencies. Its range extends to Southern China, the 

 Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, Arabia, Africa south of the 

 Equator, Madagascar, and the Islands of the Indian Ocean. Found 

 occasionally in large numbers in decayed wood. 



272. Typhlops beddomii. 



Snout rounded and moderately prominent ; nostrils lateral, 

 liostral narrow, its upper portion hardly one third the width of the 

 head, not extending to the level of the eyes ; nostril between two 

 nasals, the anterior (or lower) of which is in contact with the first 

 and second labials, the upper forming a suture behind the rostral ; 

 a pra3ocular, nearly as large as the ocular : eye distinct; upper 

 head-shields a little larger than the scales on the body ; 4 upper 

 labials. Diameter of body 20 to 40 times iu the total length ; tail 

 a little longer than broad, not ending in a spine, the terminal scale 

 obtusely conical. 18 scales round the body. Brown above, lighter 

 beneath ; usually a more or less distinct darker vertebral line ; 

 end of snout and chin, and anal region, whitish. 



Total length 5 inches. 



Hub. This species has a rather wide distribution in the hills of 

 the Indian Peninsula, Col. Beddome having collected specimens in 

 the Kimedy Hills (Vizagapatam district) and in the Anaimalai and 

 Travancore Hills, between 2000 and 5000 feet 



273. Typhlops leucomelas. 



Snout rounded and moderately projecting ; nostrils lateral, 

 liostral narrow, its upper portion about one third the width of the 

 head, extending to between the eyes; nostril between two nasals, 

 the anterior of which is in contact with the first and second labials 

 and extends to the upper surface of the head ; a pnuocular, nearly 

 as large as the ocular ; eye distinct ; upper head-scales a little 

 larger than the scales on the body ; 4 upper labials. Diameter of 

 body 32 times in the total length ; tail slightly longer than broad, 

 ending in a point. 22 scales round the body. Blackish bro\vn 

 above, pure white beneath. 



Total length 5 inches. 



