:}78 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



and when handled presses the beak into one's skin. It burrows 

 dexterously in loose soil. Above the soil it is restless and endeav- 

 ours to bury itself as speedily as possible. It is believed to feed 

 on worms. Nothing is known of its breeding habits. 



General characters. — Snout pointed and furnished with a sharp 

 hook directed downwards, from which a horizontal edge passes back- 

 wards. Eye visible, beneath the nasal, and ocular shields. Nos- 

 trils beneath the snout, and close to the rostral. Neck not distin- 

 guishable. Body stout, and of even calibre throughout. Tail short 

 and terminating in a small spine directed downwards, and slightly 

 backwards. Diameter of body about A to ^ the entire length. 



Lepidosis. Rostral — Very large ; extending behind the level of 

 the eyes ; about h the breadth of the head. Nasals — Not meeting 

 behind the rostral ; completely divided. The suture above the 

 nostril shorter than that below, the latter passing to the 2nd labial. 

 I' I'n frontal, frontal, and interparietal — Small, progressively decreas- 

 ing in size. Supraocular — Broader than parietals, touching two 

 shields behind. Prceocular — Small, touching 2nd and 3rd labials. 

 Ocular — Not in contact with any labial. Suhocular — Present, 

 in contact with the 3rd and 4th labials. Temporals three. 

 Supraldbials — Four. Costals — Boulenger says in 28 to 34 rows at 

 midbody. In the few specimens examined by me I find them 28 

 anteriorly, 24 to 26 in midbody, and 24 behind. 



Hahitat. — The Plains and low Hills of Peninsular India, South of 

 the Ganges Basin. 



TYPHLOPS BRA MINI r S. 

 The Brahminy Snake or Common Blind Snake. 



Hlstori/. — First described and figured in 1796 by Russell in his 

 first Volume (PI. XLIII). Christened by Daudin in 18U3 under 

 the name Eryx bra/minus. 



Nomenclature (a) Scientific. — The specific name is a latinised 

 version of the word brahmin, and was given in reference to its 

 brownish colouration. (If) English. — The Brahminy Snake seems 

 to me suitable, (c) Vernacular. — The vernacular names " rendoo 

 thalalay-pamboo " or " reti thalalay pamboo " two-headed snake, 

 " sevi pamboo" ear snake, "pooran" centipede, " manallay 

 •'pamboo" earth snake, used by the Tamils, " depat-naya " two- 

 headed snake, used by the Singhalese in Ceylon and " do mukh 

 ka samp," two headed snake, generally used in India are loosely 

 applied to any snakes of a burrowing habit. In the Cocos Islands 

 it is called " ular minyah " according to Boulenger. 



General characters. — This snake is cylindrical, and of even calibre 

 in its whole length showing no indication where the head or tail 

 begin. The head is bluntly rounded anteriorly and somewhat 



