180 OPHIDIA. 



Vertical shield longer than broad, pentagonal, smaller than a supraorbital. Ventral shields 

 not much larger than the scales of the adjoining series. Scales in 21 series. Ventrals 

 186-196; subcaudals 5-6. The body is brown above and white below, and encircled by a 

 network of black lines and bands; the longitudinal parts of the network are a black 

 vertebral line and an irregular band along each side ; the transverse bands on the back are 

 narrow, those on the belly broad ; the head and the neck are black ; a white collar behind 

 the black part of the neck. An oblique white band descends from the occipital to the 

 throat. 



It attams rarely to the length of 2 feet, and is found only in Ceylon. 



FAMILY OF XENOPELTIDES— X^A^0P^/.77Z)^. 



Body cylindrical, with a depressed, rounded head not distinct from neck ; 

 tail short, tapering; no rudiments of hind limbs. Scales rounded, polished, 

 rather large ; ventral shields well developed. Two pairs of frontals ; occiput 

 covered by five shields. Eye small, with subvertical pupil. Cleft of the 

 mouth of moderate width. Teeth numerous in the jaws and on the palate ; 

 no longer tooth ; a longitudinal fold at the chin. 



Only one genus. 



XENOPELTIS, Reimvardt. 



Upper labials eight ; praeocular large, replacing the loreal ; occiput covered 

 by five shields ; scales in fifteen rows ; anal and subcaudals bifid. 



Only one species is known. 



Xenopeltis unicolor. 



Xenopeltis uiiicolor, coucolorj et leucoceplialus, Reinw. Ms, 1827, p. 564. 

 Tortrix xenopeltis, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 20. pi. 1. figs. 8-10. 

 Xenopeltis unicolor, Cantor, Mai. Repi. p. 54. 



The head of this snake is flat, depressed, obtusely rounded in front ; the eye small, with 

 subvertical pupil ; the body cylindrical ; the tail tapering, short. 



