Dr. A. Giintlier o?i the Geographical Distribution of Reptiles. 231 



2. The following species are common to Ceylon and the other 

 parts of the region, the Ceylonese specimens exhibiting no remark- 

 able variation : — Simotes Russellii, Coryphod. Blumenbachii, Ablabes 

 coUaris, Chri/soj)elea omnia, Bendrophis picta, Tropidonotus sto- 

 latus, Li/codoii aidicus, Naja tripudians. 



3. Ceylonese specimens of the following species always exhibit 

 one and the same variation : — Simotes pturpurascens, Tropidonotus 

 quincunciatus (two Ceylonese varieties), Tropidonotiis chrysargos, 

 Passerita mycterizans, Bungarus fasciatus. 



A. The following species are pecuhar to Ceylon ; but representatives 

 of the genera are found in other parts of this region : — Cylindrophis 

 macidata, Olkjodon sublineatus, Cynophis helenu (appears to be the 

 representative of Elaphis subradiatus), Cyclophis calamaria, Dipsa- 

 domorphus ceylonensis (is the representative of D. trigonatus), Tri- 

 mesurus ceylonensis and nigro-marginatus, Megcera trigonocephala, 

 Trigonocephalus hypnalis, Daboia elegans. 



5. Finally, the following genera, exhibiting entire subcaudal plates, 

 are peculiar to Ceylon: — Aspldura, Haplocercus, Cercaspis. 



If we look at the forms of this region, common to other ones, 

 we see that most of them belong to Schlegel's two genera. Coluber 

 and Dipsas. The separation of the former into smaller natural 

 genera has not yet been effected in such a way as to satisfy the 

 systematist ; and therefore it is the less suited for a consideration 

 of its geographical distribution {Zamenis excepted). Nearly the 

 same is the case with the genus Dipsas ; and even if we separate 

 single forms more aberrant from the general type, there remain a 

 great many species which, comprised in one genus, do not give us 

 the idea of a cosmopolitan genus, but of a •' tropicopohtan." Spe- 

 cies of Uhahdosoma are found in the Neotropical, a single species of 

 Cerberus and Dendrophis in the eastern Palseotropical region; the 

 geographical distribution of Dryophis and Echis has been stated 

 above. 



I may add a few words to prove what I have before mentioned, viz. 

 that the Snakes of Japan belong to the fauna of the Indian region. 

 The following species from these islands are known * : — 



1. Tropidonotus tigrinus, and 



2. T. Vibakuri belong to a cosmopolitan genus ; but the former, 

 being also fouud near Ningpo in China, belongs to a group of this 

 genus, which is formed solely by species native in India ; and the se- 

 cond species is the single type of another peculiar group (see Catal. 

 of Colubr. p. GO). 



3. Coluber conspicillatus, 



4. Elaphis quudrivirgatus, and 



5. Elaphis virgatus, exhibit not only a remarkable similarity in 

 general habits, and in the system of coloration, with other true East 

 Indian Snakes {Elaphis subradiatus, &c.), but the two latter are also 

 found on the Indian continent, in China, south of the Yellow River. 



6. Trigonocephalus Blomhoffii belongs to a genus with four species 

 in the East Indies and one in the northern parts of Asia. 



* Cf. Schlegel, ' Fauna Japonica ' — " Reptiles." 



