LTCODON. 



291 



internasal. Body cylindrical ; scales keeled, in 17 rows, without 

 apical pits ; subcaudals single. 



Distribution. Ceylon. A single species. 



346. Haplocercus ceylonensis. 



Haplocercus ceylonensis. Giinth. Cat. Col. Sn. p. 15 ; id. Eept. B. I. 



p. 204, pi. xviii, fig. G. 



Aspidura carinata, Jan, Icon. Ophid. 13, pi. i, fig. 5. 

 Aspidura ceylonensis, Theob. Cat. p. 143. 



Eostral a little deeper than broad, not visible from above ; 

 frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout, three 

 fifths the length of the parietals ; prsefrontals in contact with the 

 second and third upper labials ; one prae- and two postoculars ; 

 temporals 1 + 2; 7 upper labials, fourth, or third and fourth, 

 entering the eye ; 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior 

 chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields small, scale-like. Scales 

 elongate, smooth on the nape, moderately keeled on the anterior 

 half of the back, sharply keeled on the posterior half and on the 

 tail. Ventrals 177-207 ; anal single ; subcaudals 42-56. Brown 

 above, with a black vertebral line, and, on each side, a series of 

 small black spots ; an oblique yellowish, black-edged band on each 

 side of the nape ; lower surface uniform yellowish. 



Total length 17-5 inches ; tail 2'3. 



Hob. Ceylon. 



Genus LYCODON, 



Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 981. 



Fig. 94. Head and dentition of 

 Lycodon aullcus. 



Anterior maxillary teeth en- 

 larged, the third or fourth fang- 

 like and followed by a tooth- 

 less space; anterior mandibular 

 teeth enlarged. Head not or 

 but slightly distinct from neck, 

 more or less depressed ; eye small 

 or moderate, with vertically 

 elliptic pupil ; head-shields nor- 

 mal. Body more or less elongate, 

 cylindrical or slightly com- 

 pressed ; scales smooth or keeled, 

 in 17 or 19 rows, with apical 

 pits ; ventrals with or without a 

 lateral keel; subcaudals single 

 or double. 



Distribution. East Indies, 

 Southern China, Japan, New 

 G-uinea. About 20 species are 

 known. They feed almost ex- 

 clusively on Scincoids and Tachy- 

 dromus. 



