404 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
NOTES. 
Notes on the vertebre of Cercaspis carinatus vel Lycodon 
carinatus (Kuhl).—For many years I have had a firm conviction 
that the snake now known as Lycodon carinatus should not 
be placed in that genus. My view was based, however, on 
lepidosis alone, and until quite recently I have not been able 
to acquire a specimen that I could study osteologically. 
Thanks to Mr. Drummond-Hay, who gave me a very large 
example recently, I have been able to add cranial and vertebral 
specimens to my cabinet collection. The skull, including 
dentition, is so extremely like that of Lycodon aulicus, that 
one readily grasps the justification for its inclusion in the 
genus Lycodon, but the vertebra of the two species are so 
remarkably different that I have no hesitation in placing 
carinatus in a genus of its own, thus supporting the views of 
Kuhl, Dumeril and Bibron, Gunther, and Jan. Dumeril and 
Bibron’s name is retained to denote the genus. 
— 3, 
(a) (b) 
(a) (b) 
B 
A. Lycodon aulicus. B. Cercaspis carinatus. 
(a) Dorsal aspect ; (b) lateral aspect ; (c) ventral aspect. 
(1) Condyle for articulation with vertebra behind ; (2) condyles 
for articulation with rib; (3) hypapophysis ; (4) neural spine ; 
(5) postzygapophysis ; (6) prozygapophysis; (7) zygosphene 
articulating with the zygantrum of the vertebra in front, 
