NOTES. 87 



in the Colombo Museum collection ; it seems not quite certain 

 whether it is not an ab arrant form or variety of D. j^ictus. 



The object of the present note is to place on record the 

 occurrence of an aberrant form of D. cmidolmeatus, which has 

 been sent to the Museum by Mr. H. M. Drummond Hay, who 

 had himself noticed the abnormality. The species has been 

 already recorded from Balangoda, Udugama, and lUagolla (Haly). 



Side view of the head of two specimens of Dendrophla ca)idolineatn.s. The 

 ujiper specimen is aberrant., with a rudimentary loreal behind the nasal shield : 

 the lower fig'nre represents the normal condition. 



In a normal example of D. caudolineatus there is a long narrow 

 shield between the single jiraeocular shield and the nasal shield, 

 bounded below by the upper labials and above by tlie praRfrontal. 

 This shield is called the loreal. In the abnormal specimen there 

 is no loreal on the right side of the head, the right prsefrontal 

 coming into contact with the upper labials. On the left side the 

 left prgefrontal is also in contact with the upper labials, but there 

 is a very small loreal wedged in between it and the nasal. On 

 the left there is reduction and on the right complete sujjpression 

 of the loreal. On both sides there is a slight tendency towards 

 duplication of the proeocular. 



One of the principal characters of Z).i?/renaZts is the possession 

 of two loreals. No doubt in course of time, as material accu- 

 mulates, one will be in a position to ascertain whether this is a 

 constant character or merely a casual duplication. 



The species of the genus Dendropliis are called " haldanda" in 

 Sinhalese. One of the distinctive marks which they have in 

 common is the possession of a suture-like keel along the sides 

 of the ventral shields. Furthermore, the pupil of the eye is 

 round* the anal shield is divided, and the subcaudals are in 

 two rows. 



* There is a general superficial resemblance between D'lpsan and Dtndrophis, the 

 head in both genera being distinct from the neck, but more elongate in the latter. 

 They may be at once distinguished by the shape of the pupil of the eye which If 

 vertically elliptical in Dipsas. round in Dendrophis. 



