Colubridae. 



70 



Aspidura Brachyorrhos. 



Head not distinct from neck, eye small with 

 round pupil, nasals very small, a single internasal, 

 frontal a little longer than its distance from end of 

 snout, two-thirds the length of the parietals, supra- 

 ocular more than half the length of the frontal, 

 praefrontals in contact with second and third 

 upper labials, separated from the eye by a prae- 

 ocular, two post-oculars ; six upper labials, fourth 

 entering the eye, four lower labials in contact with 

 anterior chin shields. Scales in 17 rows, smooth. 

 Ventrals 139-154, anal entire, sub-caudals 27-38, 

 body cylindrical. 



Colour reddish brown, with four indistinct, 

 longitudinal streaks, and a vertebral series of black 

 dots. Nape with black cross-streaks. Ventrals 

 yellow. Grows to 14 inches. Found only in the 

 mountains, and is peculiar to Ceylon. 



A spidura Trachyprocta. 



Like the above, only it has 15 rows of scales ; 

 ventrals 120-147; sub-caudals 13-25 single. 



Colour brown or black, with a longitudinal 

 series of small black spots and a dark lateral streak. 

 Ventrals black, or yellow spotted with black. Grows 

 to 15 inches. 



Lycodon Atiliciis, 



Head pear-shaped, bulging out from snout, 

 and slightly distinct from neck, eye small, inter- 

 nasals much shorter than the prae-frontals, frontal 

 shorter than its distance from end of snout, and 

 shorter than the parietals, one prae-ocular, two 

 post-oculars ; nine upper labials, 3rd, 4th, and 5th 

 entering the eye, four or five labials in contact with 

 anterior chin shields. Scales smooth, in 17 rows. 

 Ventrals 183-209, anal divided, sub-caudals 57-77, 



