( 43 ) 



or estuariue snake {Cerberus rhynchops,) which, like another 

 fresh-water snake, Tropidonotus plumbicolor, has a viperine look 

 but is quite harmless ; and a rare fresh-water snake, Gerardia 

 prevostiana, from the Kelani river, caught twenty years ago. Over 

 the seventh case will be found a large specimen of the common 

 Rat-snake (Zamenis mucosus) ; another snake which attains a 

 length of five feet and a wide girth is Dipsas forstenii^ of which 

 only a half-sized example is shown. This snake is represented in 

 Ceylon by two varieties, the typical variety, brown with angular 

 oblique black bars, and the red variety, uniformly rich reddish- 

 chocolate above without black bars, paler roseate flush below ; a 

 tine example obtained from Nambapana in September, 1904, is 

 shown. It is called locally the Le-polonga (Blood-polonga), and 

 is reputed poisonous. 



On a bench in the fish-gallery or east alcove there are skeletons 

 of the python, of a sea snake, Distira stokesii, from the Pearl 

 Banks, presented by Captain Donnan, and of a monitor lizard. 



The remaining smaller snakes and lizards are placed over table 

 cases near the western end of the gallery. These are chiefly 

 interesting on account of the relatively large number of endemic 

 forms, species of lizards of the genera Geratoiohora, Lyriocephalus, 

 Otocry2)tis, Cophotis, and Acontias being peculiar to the Island ; 

 examples of these are shown over Table Case XVII. Endemi-c 

 species of snakes belonging to the genera Aspidura and Rhinophis^ 

 as well as specimens of Lycodon aulicus, to which reference has 

 been made above, are exhibited over Case XVIII. The snake 

 Cylindrojjhis maculatus is also a peculiar species, and is the one 

 to which the native name "Depat-naya" (two-headed snake) is 

 specially applied, though the term is equally applicable to Rhino- 

 jjhis and allied snakes. The hinder end of the body of these 

 snakes is truncated, and bears superficial resemblance to a head. 

 The colour, yellowish on dai-k brown, varies considerably, 

 especially in the case of Rhinophis hlythii (see illustrations). 



The giant tortoise from Aldabra, Testudo elephantma, shown 

 on the far side of the Peacock Case, does not belong to Ceylon, but 

 lived here for many years in the grounds of the^^illa called 

 "Uplands" in Mutwal, near Colombo. It was found here at the 

 time of the British occupation in 1796, and had become thoroughly 

 acclimatized.* It died in March, 1894. 



A striking display of large marine turtles caught ofl: the coast 

 of Ceylon is to be seen under the large platform in the eastern or 



* The Hog-deer (^Cerrux povalmni), of which two living specimens are shown in 

 the grounds, is another example of an acclimatized animal, introduced from 

 India during the Dutch administration into the Kalutara District, where it now 

 occurs. 



