786 JOURXAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



in the Indian Peninsular and I believe it exists here to the exclu- 

 sion of Dendrophis pictus as far East as Bengal. My earlier notes 

 on the species are unfortunately deficient in the matter of precise 

 colour, and markings, but I can say with certainty that this is the 

 snake I was familiar with in Trichinopoly, and I have taken it in 

 Cannanore. It is certain, however, that the specimens taken in the 

 localities mentioned in the attached map aretristis, and not p>ictus. 



(J>) Local. — It is a common snake in Ceylon (Ferguson, Haly). 

 It is very common about Trichinopoly and Cannanore. Ferguson 

 says it is common in the Plains and Hills about Travancore * and 

 Mr. Millard tells me also about Matheran. Mr. E. Muir reports it 

 as one of the common snakes about Kalna in Bengal, and has sent 

 me specimens. Jerdon says it is abundant in all parts of the 

 country, but with this I cannot agree. It appears to me to be 

 uncommon in the plains to the north of the Tapti Rivers. I do 

 not think it occurs in the Indus Basin at all, except near the 

 mouth of that river. Blanford, collecting for 3 years at Ajmer, 

 failed to obtain a specimen. The Ganges Valley is too, I believe, 

 outside its limits, except at the Eastern part near the Delta. It 

 has not been recorded from Central India, nor seemingly from the 

 Central Provinces. It is quite common in the Eastern Himalayas 

 (circa 2,500 to 5,000 feet) in the vicinity of Darjeeling. 



Lepidosis. Rostral. — Touches 6 shields ; the rostro-nasal, and 

 restro-internasal sutures subeqiial. Internasals — Two ; the suture 

 between them equal to, or nearl}^ equal to that between the pras- 

 frontal fellows, and rather shorter than the internaso-prasfrontal 

 sutures. Prce-frontals. — Two ; the sutures between them equal to, 

 or rather greater than, the praefronto frontal sutures ; in contact 

 with internasal, postnasal, loreal, prajocular, supraocular and frontal. 

 Frontal. — Touches 6 shields ; the fronto-supraocular sutures three 

 to four times the fronto-parietal sutures. Supraoculars. — As long 

 as the frontal, and about as broad along a line connecting the 

 centres of the eyes. Nasals. — Two, completely divided ; the nostril 

 placed almost entirely in the anterior shield ; in contact with the 

 1st and 2nd supralabials. Loreal. — One elongate, twice or more 

 than twice as long as high, about as long as the two nasals taken 

 together. Prceocular — One, barely reaching the top of the head 



* Bombay N. H. Jour., Vol. X, p. o. 



