Earth-Snakes of India and Ceylon. 9 



back to the middle of the frontals ; caudal shield much smaller 

 than in the other species, asperous, in extent less than one 

 half the surface of the head, obtusely rounded, rarely with a 

 small ridge down its centre. Some of the final caudal scales 

 on the upper surface of the tail in both males and females 

 Avith faint traces of keels, some of the central row on the 

 upper surface often enlarged ; no chin-shields between the 

 first pair of lower labials 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 145 to 156 in the 

 males, and from 159 to 164 in the females. Subcaudals 7 

 pairs in the males, 5 or 6 pairs in the females. Length of 

 adults up to 13-14 inches, girth 1|- inch. Body brown, belly 

 and sides more or less mottled with yellow or with a yellowish 

 band along the anterior portion of the trunk ; a complete yel- 

 lowish ring round the end of the trunk near the anal region, and 

 generally several triangular yellowish blotches up the sides of 

 the anterior portion of the trunk, but not meeting over the back. 

 Hah. Ceylon, Central Provinces ; common about Kandy 

 and elsewhere. 



This appears to be the stoutest of all the species of this 

 genus, being nearly 2 inches in circumference ; it has been 

 confounded with Silyhura melanogaster\)j Dr. Giinther, but it 

 is much larger than that species, has a different caudal disk, 

 and a different coloration ; this and Sihjhura melanocjaster 

 appear to be the only species very common in Ceylon, and I 

 took them both all over the Central Provinces, though never 

 together ; whereas I only found a single example each of 

 Rhinophis jjunctatus, R. Trevelyanus^ and Uroyeltis grandis, 

 I never found Rhinojyhis oxyrhynchiis ox j^lttuiceps. 



Ueopeltis, Cuvier. 



Tail cylindric, obliquely truncated as if cut by a knife, 

 the truncated portion flat, scaleless, rough ; head conical, 

 nasal shields forming a suture behind the rostral, no supra- 

 orbital ; the first pair of lower labials form a suture behind 

 the median shield and are followed by a pair of chin-shields. 

 No mental groove. 



Hah. Ceylon. 



Uropeltis grandis. 

 TJropeUis pliiliirpinus, Cuv. IJegne Auiiu. ii. p. 7G; Diim. & Bibr. vii. 



p. 161, pi. lix. fig. 2 ; Peters, Uropelt. p. 20 ; Tennant's Ceylon, 



vol. i. p. l95. 

 TseudotypMops philipinnus, Schlegel, Abbildungen, p. 44. 

 Uropeltis saffragamiis, grandis, aiApardalis, Kelaart, Prodr.ii.pp. 15, 16. 

 Urupeltis yrandis, Giinther, Kept. Brit. Ind. p. 188. 



Snout pointed ; rostral convex, produced behind, nearly as 

 long as the vertical ; ventrals not much larger than the scales 



