Earth- Snahes of India and Ceylon. 23 



/3. Nasals separated hy rostral. 



Silyhura pulneyensis. 



Plectrurus pulneyensis, Bedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, cum icon. 

 Hhiiiophis pulneyaisis, Giinther, Rept. of Brit. Ind. p. 187. 

 Silyhura Wood-Masoni, Tlieob. Cat. Rept. of Brit. Ind. p. 1.35. 



Snout rather obtuse ; rostral flat, not compressed, rather 

 broad behind, and completely separating the nasals ; eje 

 small ; tail somewhat compressed ; caudal disk convex ; the 

 terminal scute the size of three scales, bicuspid, the points 

 side hj side, the caudal scales smooth or generally a few of 

 the final ones with faint keels ; no chin-shield between the first 

 pair of lower labials and the ventrals ; scales in 17 rows round 

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

 adjoining scales, 173 to 179, without reference to sex; sub- 

 caudals 12 pair in the males, 6 to 9 pair in females (or 

 sometimes entire). Length 10-14 inches, girth up to 1^ inch, 

 but seldom more than 1^. Colour uniform earthy brown ; a 

 lateral bright yellow streak from middle of fourth labial con- 

 tinued for 1-H inch along the trunk; a few minute yellow 

 specks on the back ; belly with broad, bright yellow, transverse 

 bands, very irregular as to number and shape ; some yellow 

 markings about the vent and tail. 



Hab. Pulney hills (Madura district), 5000 to 7000 feet 

 elevation. This is the common species on these hills, very 

 abundant on the higher ranges, often found about the roads 

 in wet weather, and dug up in gardens, also common on the 

 short cut up from Shembaganoor under rocks, associated with 

 Silyhura nigra and Platyplectrurus madurensis. 



The ventrals in this species are not more in the female than 

 in the male, as is usually the case. A male with 12 sub- 

 caudalshas 174 ventrals, and females with 9, 7, and 6 respec- 

 tively have 177, 173, and 179 ventrals. 



Silyhura Giintheri. 



Silyhura Giintheri, Bedd. Proc. Zool. Soc. Nov. 5, 1873, 



Snout broad, obtuse ; rostral small, but quite separating 

 the nasals ; eye small ] tail rather long, somewhat compressed j 

 the terminal scute square at the end, slightly bicuspid, the 

 points side by side, all the caudal scutes perfectly smooth ; no 

 chin-shields between the first pair of lower labials and the 

 ventrals; scales in 17 rows round middle of body; ventrals 

 much larger than the adjoining scales, 1G8 ; subcaudals 13 

 pairs. Body uniform purplish black, iridescent ; belly and 

 the 1 or 2 adjoining rows of scales yellow ; chin and the first 



