22. SEPOPHIS. — 23. CHALCID0SEP8. 423 



22. SEPOPHIS. 

 Sepsophis, Beddome, 3Lidras Journ. Med. Sc. 1S70. 



Palatine bones not meeting on the median line of the ])alate, 

 ■which is toothless. Teeth conical. Eye small ; lower eyelid scaly. 

 Ear-opening distinct, minute. Nostril pierced between the rostral, 

 the first labial, and a snpranasal; two frontals ; no prjofrontals ; 

 frontoparietals present. Ijody much elongate; limbs absent. 



Southern India. 



1. Sepophis punctatus. (Plate XX VII. fig. 2.) 

 Sepsophis punctatus, L'edd. I. c. 



Snout obtuse, scarcely ])rojectiug beyond tho labial margin ; 

 supranasals forming a median suture and in contact with the first and 

 second up])er labials ; four agygos shields on the upper surface of 

 the head, first three broader than long, first (the frontonasal) largest, 

 second a little smaller than tliird, fourth smallest ; four supraoculars, 

 first and second in contact with the first frontal ; six supraciliaries ; 

 frontoparietals separated ; parietals narrow ; fourth ujjpcr labial 

 entering the orbit. 20 scales round the middle of the body. Vrai- 

 anals scarcely enlarged. Tail as long as head and body. Cream- 

 coloured, sides blackish brown ; two series of dark brown spots or 

 dots along the back. 



From snout to vent 110 millim. 



Southern India. 



«• Ad. Golconda hills. Col. Beddome [C.]. 



(Type.) 

 -c. Ad. & hgr. Gorge hills, Godavery, 2000 ft. Col. JSeddome [C.]. 



23. CHALCIDOSEPS. 



Palatine bones not meeting on the median line of the palate, 

 which is toothless. Teeth conical. Eye small ; lower eyelid scaly. 

 Ear-opening distinct, minute. Xostril pierced in the rostral, close 

 to the posterior border ; no supranasals ; praefrontals and fronto- 

 parietals absent. Body much elongate ; limbs very short, tetradactyle. 



Ceylon. 



1. Chalcidoseps thwaitesii. (Plate XXVIII. fig. 1.) 



Nessia thwaitesii, Giinth. Ann. ^ Mag. N. If. (4) ix. 1872, p. 86. 



Snout obtuse, scarcely projecting beyond the labial margin ; fronto- 

 nasal broader than long, broader than and about half as long as 

 the frontal ; latter longer than broad, angularly emarginate on each 

 side by the first supraocular ; five supraoculars ; seven supraciliaries ; 

 interparietal triangular, narrower than and half as long as the 

 frontal; parietals forming a suture behind the interparietal; a pair 

 of nuchals and a pair of temporals border the parietals ; second 

 upper labial largest, third entering the orbit. 24 scales round the 



