378 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL RLST. ISOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



and when handled presses the beak into one's sldn. It burrows 

 dexterously in loose soil. Above the soil it is restless and endeav- 

 ours to bury itself as speedily as possible. It is believed to feed 

 on worms. Nothing is known of its breeding habits. 



General characters. — Snout pointed and furnished with a sharp 

 hook directed downwards, fi'om which a horizontal edge passes back- 

 wards. Eye visible, beneath the nasal, and ocular shields. Nos- 

 trils beneath the snout, and close to the rostral. Neck not distin- 

 guishable. Body stout, and of even calibre throughout. Tail short 

 and terminating in a small spine directed downwards, and slightly 

 backwards. Diameter of body about ^^^ to J.^ the entire length. 



Lepidosis. liodral — Very large; extending behind the level of 

 the eyes ; about ^ the breadth of the head. Nasals — Not meeting 

 behind the rostral ; completely divided. The suture above the 

 nostril shorter than that below, the latter passing to the 2nd labial. 

 Prmfrontal, frontal, and interparietal — Small, progressively decreas- 

 ing in size. Supraocular — Broader than parietals, touching two 

 shields behind. Fraiocular — Small, touching 2nd and 3rd labials. 

 Ocular — Not in contact with any labial. Stthocular — Present, 

 in contact with the 3rd and 4th labials. Temporals three. 

 Supralahials — Four. Gostals — Boulenger says in 28 to 34 rows at 

 midbody. In the few specimens examined by me I find them 28 

 anteriorly, 24 to 26 in midbody, and 24 behind. 



Habitat. — The Plains and low Hills of Peninsular India, South of 

 the Ganges Basin. 



TYPHL0F8 BRA MINUS. 



The Brahminy Snake or Common Blind Snake. 



History. — First described and figured in 1796 by Russell in his 

 first Volume (PI. XLIII). Christened by Daudin in 18u3 under 

 the name Eryx braminus. 



Nomenclature (a) Scientific. — The specific name is a latinised 

 version of the wed brahmin, and was given in reference to its 

 brownish colouration. (J)) English. — The Bi-ahminy Snake seems 

 to me suitable, (c) Vernacular. — The vernacular names " rendoo 

 thalalay-paraboo " or " reti thalalay pamboo " two-headed snake, 

 "sevi pamboo" ear snake, " pooriin " centipede, " manallay 

 "pamboo" earth snake, used by the Tamils, " depat-naya " two- 

 headed snake, used by the vSinghalese in Ceylon and " do niukh 

 ka samp," two headed snake, generally used in India are loosely 

 applied to any snakes of a burrowing habit. In the Cocos Islands 

 it is called "ular minyah " according to Boulenger. 



General characters. — This snake is cylindrical, and of even calibre 

 in its whole length showing no indication where the head or tail 

 begin. The head is bluntly rounded anteriorly and somewhat 



