A POPULAR ITiEA T1SE ON INDIA N SNAKES. 271 



13 Ian ford* remarks that it appears much less common in the Deccan 

 proper, west of Nagpur, than it is to the eastward. 



/description. — Rostral, touches 6 shields, of which the anterior 

 nasal sutures are largest, and about ^ greater than the internasals. 



Interna sals. — A pair. The suture between them ^ to § that be- 

 tweon the prefrontal fellows ; f the internaso-prafrontal suture. 



Prefrontals. — The suture between them rather greater than the 

 prsefron to-frontal suture. In contact with the internasal, posterior 

 nasal, two loreals, prteocular, supraocular, and frontal. Frontal. — In 

 contact with b* shields, of which the supraocular sutures are the largest, 

 and twice or more than twice the parietal sutures. Length subequal 

 to supraoculars. Breadth subequal to or rather greater than the supra- 

 oculars. Parietals in contact with one postocular usually (rarely two). 

 Nasals. — Two, lateral, completely divided. In contact with the 1st 

 and 2nd supralabials. The nostril occupies the full depth of the suture, 

 and is situated almost entirely in tha posterior shield. Loreals. — Thiee, 

 normally 1+^. (rarely 2 4, or 5). Pnvo'-v/ars.— Two normally (rarely 

 one), the lower wedged between the 3rd and 4th supralabials. Pvsto- 

 cufars. — Two. Temporals. — Two ; the lower touching the Oth and 7th 

 supralabials (sometimes the 5th also). Suprahib'als S, the 4th and 5th 

 touching the eye normally (sometimes ( J with the 5th and Oth touch- 

 ing the eye). Infrala'tials 5 touch the anterior sublinguals (rarely ti) f 

 trn first forming a suture together about half the length of that 

 between the anterior sublinguals. The "<th and Gth touch the posterior 

 sublinguals. The 6th is the largest of the series, and is as broad or 

 broader than the posterior sublinguals, and in contact with 2 scales 

 behind. Scales. — Two heads lengths behind the head 17 ; nudbody 17 

 or 16; two heads lengths before the vent 14 or 12. All subequal 

 except the last row which is largest. A pair of apical facets at the apex 

 of each scale. K<-els anteriorly (two heads lengths behind head) none; 

 midbody in from to 6 or 7 rows ; posteriorly (two heads lengths before 

 vent) in 2 to 10 rows. Absorption^ — In this snake two steps occur, 

 the first in which the scales reduce from 1 7 to 16, and this is brcuoht 



* .lourl. A 8. Soc. I'engal, Vol. XXXIX, p. :>~-2. 

 \ I have already referred to the fact fiat in some snakes t l ie same number of rows nf scales 

 rersiste throu.'hout the body lengih; whilst in others it decreases Now the manner in 

 which this reduction is effected is one of much in t rest from its variation in different sprcies, 

 and it is surprising to mo that this feature should have been altogether overlooked by other 

 herpetologists. 



