TTPHLOPS. 237 



Snout round and moderately projecting; nostrils lateral. Eostral 

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

 not extending quite to the level o£ the eyes ; nostril between two 

 nasals, the anterior (or lower) of xaIucIi is in contact ^ith the prae- 

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

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

 the scales on t he body ; prefrontal in contact with the rostral ; 4 

 upper lubials. Diameter of body 35 to 55 times in the total 

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

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

 anal region, and end of tail usually whitish. 



Total length 7 inches. 



Hah. 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. sf--- 



•♦v 



hJnout rounded aud 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, tlie upper forming a suture behind the rostral : 

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

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

 labials. Diameter of body 20 to 40 times in 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 aud chin, and anal region, whitish. 



Total length 5 inches. 



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

 the Indian Peninsula, Col. Beddome having collected specimens in 

 the Ivimedy Hills (Vizagapatain district) aud in the Anaimalai and 

 Travancore Hills, between 2000 aud 500(i feet 



273. Typhlops leucomelas. 



Snout rounded and moderately projecting ; nostrils lateral. 

 Ilostral narrow, its upper portion about one thijxl 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 pra^ocular, nearly 

 as large as the ocular; eye disthict ; 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 brown 

 above, pure white beneath. 



Total length 5 iuches. 



