A POPULAR TREATISE ON INDIAN SNAKES. 5 



between the prefrontal, and frontal on each side. Frontal in 

 contact with six other shields of which the supraoculars form the 

 largest sutures. Length subequalto the supraoculars. Breadth opposite 

 centres of eyes twice or nearly twic3 each supraocular. Parietal* 

 a pair. Each in contact with one postocular. Nasals two placed 

 laterally on each side, and completely divided by a suture in which the 

 nostril occupies the upper two-thirds to three-fourths. In contact 

 with the 1st and 2nd supralabials. Loreal single. Sometimes con- 

 tinued backwards to touch the eye, more usually not. Prceoculars two. 

 Postoculars three or four. Temporals two. The lower in contact with 

 the 5th and 6th supralabials, the suture made with the 5th being 

 about f that with the 6th. Supralabials 7 of which the 3rd and 4th 

 touch the eye. Infralabials. The first meet behind the mental to 

 form a suture about half the length of that between the anterior sublin- 

 guals. 6 (rarely 7) come into contact with the sublingual shields, 4 or 

 5 with the anterior pair, the rest with the posterior pair. The pentagonal 

 is usually the tith (rarely the 7th) of the series. It is about as bread 

 as the posterior sublinguals of the same side, and touches 3 scales behind.* 

 Posterior sublinguals are longer than the anterior, and are quite 

 separated by one or two small scales succeeded by a pair. JJorsals 

 anteriorly in 23-25 rows ; midbody 25-27 • posteriorly 17.f 

 The vertebral row is similar to its contiguous rows in size and form. 

 The last row is largest. The scales are longer than broad, have 

 straight margins, rather acute apices set pointing directly backwards, 

 and are keeledj and facetted. Lines drawn across the apices of alternate 

 rows are about vertical. The keels are pronounced in all rows except 

 the last where they are absent for a variable extent anteriorly. 

 They extend completely from base to apex of each scale. Apical facets 

 are present in pairs, but often are difficult to see. Supracaudals 

 are in even numbers of rows numbering six in the middle of the tail, 

 and ending in a very few twos. Keels are present in all rows from 

 base to tip of tail, also apical facets as in dorsals. Ventrals 144— 1 60 



* This does not appear so in Fig. 3, as the posterior sublinguals are overlapping the inner 

 part of the pentagonal. 



t Wherever referencs is made to anterior and posterior parts of the body in this paper it is 

 to be understood that the former refers to a point two heads lengths behind the bead, and 

 the latter to a point two heads lengths in front of the vent. Midbody is to be reckoned 

 exclusive of the tail. 



X The presence of a ridge on the scale similar to the midrib on the underside of a leaf 

 is technically called a keel. 



