158 



tEOPELTIDij;:. 



much longer thau broad. Eye measuring hardly half the length of 

 the ocular. Diameter of body 26 or 27 times in the total length. 

 17 scales round the middle of the body, 19 behind the head. 

 Ventrals nearly twice as large as the contiguous scales, 128-130. 

 Subcaudals 8. End of tail nearly flat above, obliquely truncate, 

 with strongly hi- or tricarinate scales; terminal scute with a 

 transverse ridge and two more or less distinct points. Brown above, 

 with small yellowish dots ; yellow inferiorly, with large black spots 

 or cross bands. 



Total length 200 millim. 



Tinnevelly Hills, S. India. 



a-b. Hgr. (\. 128, TinneveUy, 3000-4000 feet. Col. Beddome [0.1. 

 130; C.8,8).; (Types.) 



21. Silybura brevis. 



Uropeltis ceylanicus, Cuv. R. A. 2nd ed. ii. p. 76 (1829) ; Cocteau, 



in Guer. Mag. Zool., CI. iii. pi. ii. (1833). 

 Pseudo-Typhlops ceylanicus, Schleg. Ahbild. p. 45 (1844). 

 Coloburus ceylanicus, Dum. Sf Bihr. vii. p. 164, pi. lix. %. 3 (1854). 

 Siloboura ceylonica. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 262. " 

 Silybura ceylonica, Peters, Uropelt. p. 21 (1861). 

 ceylauico, pait., Peters, 31on. Berl. Ac. 1861, p. 903 ; Gilnth. 



Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 228. 



brevis, Giinth. Atm. ^- Mag. N. H. (3) ix. 1862, p. 56, and Re2)t. 



, Brit. hid. p. 192, i)l. xvii. fig\ D (1864), and Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, 



p. 229 ; Theoh. Cat. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 134 (1876) ; Bouleng. Faun. 



Ind., Rept. p. 268. 

 shortii, Beddome, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 225, pi. xxv. fig. 1 ; 



Gilnth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 191, pi. xxvii. fig. G ; Theoh. I. c. 



p. 134. 

 nil^herriensis, Beddome, I. c. p. 226, pi. xxvi. fig. 1, and Ann. 8f 



Mag. 'N. H. (5) xvii. 1886, p. 14. 

 bicatenata, Gilnth. Rejit. Brit. hid. p. 191, pi. xvii. fig. H, and 



Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 229 ; Theob. Cat. Rept. Brit. hid. p. 134. 

 ellioti, part., Gilnth. Rept. Brit. hid. p. 190, and Proc. Zool. 



Soc. 1875, p. 228 ; Theob. I. c. p. 133 ; Beddome, Ann. ^- Mag. N. H. 



(5)xvii._1886, p. 14. __ 

 ellioti, vars. shortii, annulata, Beddome, Ann. ^" Mag. N. H. 



(5) xvii. p. 15. 



Snout rounded; rostral hardly one fourth the length of the 

 shielded part of the head, the portion visible from above shorter 

 than its distance from the frontal ; nasals in contact ; frontal a 

 little longer than broad. Eye more than half the length of the 

 ocular. Diameter of body 21 to 29 times in the total length. 17 

 scales round the middle of the body, 19 behind the head. Ventrals 

 twice as large as the contiguous scales, 120-14G. Subcaudals 8-12. 

 End of tail flat above, obliquely truncate, with strongly hi-, tri-, or 

 quadricarinate scales ; terminal scute with a transverse ridge and 

 two more or less distinct points. Brown or blackish brown above, 

 with or without yellowish spots or cross bars or a yellowish lateral 

 stripe; belly ycUowish, with or without dark brown spots, or 



