614 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVII. 



inches in length, and all the other specimens I have seen are of about 

 the same dimensions. 



This is the second new Lyeodon I have had the honour of describing 

 within a year, and the total number of species now known to inhabit 

 our Indian territory amounts to 11. 



Without wishing to commit myself too positively I think the follow- 

 ing characters, if found co-existing, will identify the Lyeodon group — 



(1) Scales in midbody in 19 or 17 rows. 



(2) Scales two headslengths before vent 2 rows less than in 



midbody. 



(3) Pupil vertical.* 



(4) Three labials touching the eye.f 



Key to the Species of Lyeodon. 

 A.— NO LOREAL. 



(a) Labials 8 , s . ,. mackinnoni. 



(b) Labials 9 atropurpureus. 



B.— ONE LOREAL WHICH DOES NOT TOUCH THE 



INIERNASAL. 



(a) Scales in midbody 17. 



* Labials 8 .....^ ....... fasciatus. 



** Labials 9 ..;... travancoricus. 



(ft) Scale in midbody 19. 



* Labials 8 ,,.... .. garnmiei. 



** Labials 9 carinatus. 



C.— ONE LOREAL WHICH TOUCHES THE INTER- 

 NASAL - 



(a) Labials 8 ■,.. striatus. 



(6) Labials 9 



* Nasals touch 1st and 2nd labials ; prseocular 



usually touches frontal aulicus. 



** Nasals touch 1st labial only ; prseocular does not 

 touch frontal 



o Brown with a pair of white spots on each scale... jara. 



oo Black with vertebral series of yellow spots ...... fiavomaculatus . 



D— LORE ALS TWO anamallensis. 



* The pU|il can never be discerned in the Lycr dons during life, but the earliest post mor- 

 tem change to be ob erved which may be revealed in a couple of hours, or even less, is a 

 ste >dily increasing opacity of the lens, whereby the, shape of the pupil becomes obvious. Im- 

 mersion in spirit briugs about the same change more rapidly. 



During life, or in a f -eshly killed specimen, this jet-black condition of the eye added to 

 points 1 and 2 given above will suffice to declare the genus, for in all other stakes with the 

 same optical peculiarity, the scales at a point 2 heads lengths before the vent, are disposed 

 in the same number of rows as in midbody. 



t Except L. airopurpureus in which the 4th and 5th on'y touch the eye. This taken with 

 the first 3 conditions enumerated will suffice to distinguish it from all our other Indian 

 snakes. 



