LYCODON, 



291 



iuternasal. Body cylindrical ; scales keeled, in 17 rows, without 

 apical pits ; subcaudals single. 



Distribution. Ceylon. A single species. 



346. Haplocercus ceylonensis. 



_Haplocercus ceylonensis, G'dnth. Cat. Col. Sn. p. lo ; id, Rept. B. I. 



p. 204, pi. xviii, fig. G. 

 Aspidura carinata, Jan, Icon. Ophid. 13, pi. i, fig. 5. 

 Aspidura ceylonensis, Theoh. Cat. p. 143. 



Eostral a little deeper than broad, not visible from above ; 

 frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout, three 

 fifths the length of the parietals ; praifrontals in contact with the 

 second and third upper labials ; one pr;e- and two ]DOstoculars ; 

 temporals 1 + 2; 7 upper labials, fourth, or third and fourth, 

 entering the eye ; 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior 

 chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields small, scale-like. Scales 

 elongate, smooth ou the nape, moderately keeled on the anterior 

 half of the back, sharply keeled on the posterior half and on the 

 tail. Ventrals 177-207; anal single ; subcaudals 42-56. Brown 

 above, with a black vertebral line, and, on each side, a series of 

 small black spots ; an oblique yellowish, black-edged baud on each 

 side of the nape ; lower surl'ace uniform yellowish. 



Total length 17-5 inches ; tail 2-?>. 



Hah. Ceylon. 



Genus LYCODON, 



Boie, Isis, 182G, p. 081. 



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Fig. 94. — Head and dentition uf 

 Lijcodon atilicus. 



Anterior maxillary teeth en- 

 larged, the third or fourth fang- 

 like and followed by a tooth- 

 less space; anterior mandibular 

 teeth enlarged. Head not or 

 but slightly distinct from neck, 

 more or less depressed ; eye small 

 or moderate, with vertically 

 elliptic pupil ; head-shields nor- 

 mal. Body more or less elongate, 

 cylindrical or slightly com- 

 pressed ; scales smooth or keeled, 

 in 17 or 19 rows, with apical 

 pits ; ventrals with or \\ithout a 

 lateral keel ; subcaudals single 

 or double. 



Distribution. East' Indies^ 

 Southern China, Japan, New 

 Gruinea. About 2U species are 

 known. They feed almost ex- 

 clusively on Scincoids and TacJiy- 

 dromus. 



ir2 



