Earth- Snakes of India and Ceylon, 17 



same, and they are found indiscriminately over the same 

 area. The two specimens with 155 ventrals are both from 

 the Bombay presidency (collected by Dr. Leith probably at 

 Matheran) ; I have never counted so many, or more, I believe, 

 than 142, in the type form, and these two specimens also differ 

 in wanting chin-shields, so that it is probable that this Bombay 

 form will have to be considered a seventh variety. The two 

 specimens are poor, and more are required to settle this satis- 

 factorily ; I shall not be surprised, however, if some lierpe- 

 tologists unite ruhrolineala, which has up to 170 ventrals, 

 with this species. 



II II Caudal disk convex. 



A. Snout pointed. 



a. Ocellated. 



Silyhura ocliracea. 



Silyhira ochracea, Bedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. Nov. 1878, p. 801. 

 Silyhura Dupeni, Bedd. /. c. 



Snout pointed ; rostral moderate ; nasals forming a suture 

 behind the rostral; eye very small ; caudal disk more or less 

 convex, tlie terminal scute much broader than long, ending 

 in two points side by side, the caudal scales 3-8-keeled ; 

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

 followed by a pair of chin-sliields ; scales in 17 rows 

 round the middle of the body; ventrals twice as large as the 

 adjoining scales, 214 to 233, without reference to sex. Sub- 

 caudals about 10 pairs in the males, 6 pairs in the females. 

 Length of largest adults about 20 inches, girth 1|- inch. 

 Back yellowish in life (yellowish browu in spirits), in the 

 half-grown and young purplish brown ; irregular cross bars 

 of ocellated spots, which are yellow, with a black ring ; sides 

 and belly yellow, but the latter much mottled and blotched 

 irregularly with the ground-colour ; tail dark-coloured 

 beneath, surrounded by a bright yellow band. 



Hab. Anamallays, about Nelliampady, on the Cochin 

 side, at 3000 feet elevation ; also above Ponachi, on the 

 Coimbatore side of the same hills, 4500 feet elevation ; also 

 the Bolampatty hills, near Coimbatore, 2000 feet elevation. 



Silyhura ocellata. 



Silyhura ocellata, Bedd. Madr. Quart. Journ. of Med. Scien. 1863, cum 

 icon.; and Proc. Zool. Soc. June 9, 1803; Giintliei', Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 March 16, 1875. 



Snout pointed ; rostral much shorter than the vertical, 

 Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser, 5. Vol. x\ ii. 2 



