Earth-Snakes of India and Gerjlon. 7 



of the tail, with faint traces of keels both in males and females, 

 but fainter in the latter, some of those along the central 

 row on the upper surface often much enlarged ; no chin- 

 shields between the first pair of lower labials and the ventrals. 

 Scales round the middle of body in 17 rows ; ventrals not 

 twice as large as the adjoining scales, from about 154 in the 

 males to 176 in the females; subcaudals 6 or 7 in the males, 

 3 or 4 in the females, generally in pairs, sometimes single. 

 Length of adults 11-12 inches, girth about \ inch. Blackish 

 brown or brown above, each scale with a lighter margin, a 

 lighter colour below ; a yellow band across the vent ; some- 

 times some yellow blotches on the anterior portion of the 

 trunk. 



Hah. Ceylon, Central Provinces. 



I have adopted Peters's later name, as the older one of 

 p]nli2)pinus was given on the erroneous supposition that this 

 species was found in the Philippine Islands. The vertical 

 shield does not afford a specific character in any species of 

 Rliinophis or Silj/biira, as it differs as much in individuals 

 of the same species as it does in different species ; the supposed 

 planicejjs differs in no way from fhili'ppinus. 



Rhinophis Trevelyanus. 



Dapatnnya Trevelyana, Kelaart, Prodr. Fauua Zeyl. ii. p. 17. 

 Mytilia Gerrardi, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, pp. 58, 203, tab. 13. 

 lihinoplns hovwiepig, ileinprich, Gruudr. der Nat. ; Peters, Urop. p. 14. 



Snout acutely pointed ; rostral shield much less than half 

 the length of the head, slightly compressed into a keel above j 

 caudal shield large, obtusely rounded, extending to the lower 

 surface of the head, its extent being rather more than that of 

 the head ; all the caudal shields quite smooth both on the upper 

 and lower surface of the tail ; the first pair of lower labials form 

 a suture behind the mental, but there are no chin-shields 

 between these and the ventrals. Scales round the middle of 

 the body in 17 rows ; ventrals not much larger than the scales 

 of the adjoining series, from about 191 in the males to 203 in 

 females ; tail very short, 5 subcaudals in the males and 4 in 

 the females. Length of adults about 11-12 inches, with a 

 girth of about 1 inch. Body blackish, with the margins of the 

 scales lighter ; belly cream-coloured, the sides with a series 

 of triangular cream-coloured or whitish bands which do not 

 meet across the back. 



Hah. Ceylon, Central Provinces ; in the vicinity of Kandy, 

 under stones. 



