Earth- Snalces of India and Gejilon. 15 



Sih/hura ni/t/hcrriensis, Bedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. 18G3, p. 22(k pi. xxvi 



Silijhura hicatenatn, Giinther, Reptiles of Brit. Ind. p. 191. 



Sih/hiirn hrevi^, Giintlier, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 18(32, p. AG ; and 



Reptiles Brit. lud. p. 192. 

 Sihflmra Elliotfi, Giintlier, Rept. of Brit. Ind. p. 190 (in part). 

 Silyhira cei/Ianica, Giintlier, Proc. Zool. Soc. March 10, 1875. 



Snout obtuse ; rostral shield rounded, quite flat, shorter 

 than the vertical ; nasals forming a suture behind the rostral ; 

 eye rather large ; caudal disk flat, well defined, as if cut off 

 at an angle with a knife, about as long as the tail ; the terminal 

 scute broad, more or less bicuspid, sometimes very sharply so, 

 the caudal scales very prominently 1-3-keeled ; the first 

 pair of lower labials form a suture behind the median, followed 

 hj a pair of chin-sliiclds. Scales round the middle of the 

 body in 17 rows; ventrals twice as large as the adjoining 

 scales, 122 to 142 (155 in two specimens from Bombay presi- 

 dency), without reference to sex; subcaudals, about 12 pairs 

 in males and 6 pairs in females. Length of largest adult 19 

 inches, girth 2| inches (but this is exceptionally large). 

 Colour generally brown or blackish brown above, the belly 

 more or less yellowish, or with a more or less distinct lateral 

 yellow band ; a broad yellow band on each side of the tail, 

 which latter is black down the centre. 



Hah. Nilgiris Mountains, from 3000 to 7000 feet elevation ; 

 and, I believe, throughout the Uropelt region of the western 

 coast of the peninsula, and extending up into the mountains 

 of the Bombay presidency, but not found on the mountains of 

 the east coast or in Ceylon. 



The name ceylanica cannot be kept up, as the species is not 

 found in Ceylon. 



Var. /3. Shortii. 



Silyhura Shortii, Bedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 225, pi. xxv. fig. 1. 



The back ornamented with more or less regular yellow 

 cross bars. 



Hah. Shevaroy Hills, Salem district; the Anaraallays. 



Var. 7. anmdata. 



Body violet-brown, encircled with about thirty complete 

 transverse rings of a darker shade; belly yellowish. (Ventrals 

 133, subcaudals 10 pairs in the unique specimen.) 



Bah. The Wynad, Malabar, 3500 feet elevation. 



Var. S. myliendrw. 

 Colour slaty purple above, with the posterior third of each 



