12 Col. R. H. Beddome on the 



caudal disk convex, the terminal scute small, bicuspid, the 

 points side by side ; the caudal scales 2-7-keeled ; the first 

 pair of lower labials form a suture behind the median shield 

 and are followed by a pair of chin-shields. Scales round the 

 middle of the body in 1 9 rows. Ventrals about twice as large 

 as the scales of the adjoining scries, from about 200 in the 

 males to 214 in the females; in the males about 12 or 13 of 

 the last ventrals and the scales of the trunk adjoining have 

 similar keels to those on the caudal disk ; subcaudals keeled, 

 10 to 12 pairs in the males, 7 or 8 pairs in the females. Length 

 of adults up to about 24 inches, and girth up to 1^ inch. 

 Back brownish violet ; belly with alternate yellow and dark 

 violet cross bands. 



Hab. Anamallay forests, above Ponachi, at an elevation of 

 about 4000 feet ; not uncommon. 



Silyhura nigra. 



Silybnrn ^nelnnoc/aster, Glintlaer, Proc. Zool. Soc. March 16, 1876, 



pi. xxxi. fig. B. 

 Silyhura iiigra, Bedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. Feb. 5, 1S78. 



Snout more or less pointed ; rostral about as long as the 

 vertical, sometimes produced back and quite separating the 

 nasals, or sometimes the nasals form a suture behind the 

 rostral ; eye very small ; caudal disk convex, not well 

 defined, terminal scute small, bicuspid, the caudal scales 

 more or less keeled, but not prominently, sometimes all quite 

 glabrous except a few of the terminal ones, on which the 

 keels are very faint ; no chin-shields between the lower labials 

 and ventrals. Scales in 19 rows round the middle of the 

 body ; ventrals twice as large as the adjoining scales, from 

 about 1 64 in the males to 1 85 in the females ; subcaudals 

 (some often single) 9 or 10 pairs in the male, aboat 6 pairs in 

 females. Length about 9-12 inches, girth nearly 1 inch. 

 Body blackish or dark violet, very iridescent, with regular 

 transverse rows of yellowish or ocellated spots; belly uniform 

 blackish, the sides with a yellow band more or less broken up 

 into spots, or the belly and sides pretty regularly banded with 

 black and yellow. 



Hah. The Pulneys and other ranges of hills in Madura and 

 North Tinnevelly, 4000 to 5000 feet elevation. Not uncommon ; 

 it can always be found under the rocks between Shemban- 

 ganoor and Kodiekarnal, though not nearly so common as 

 S. pulneyensiSj which abounds there. 



The typical 8. melanogaster of Giinther has the rostral sepa- 

 rating the nasals as in the Ceylon I{hino2ihis (but I have 



