POPULAR TREATISE ON TKE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 11 



Lepidosis. — Rostral much broader than high, not ridged trans- 

 versely. Touches six shields, the anterior and posterior nasals and 

 1st labial. Internasals. — Absent. The small scales on the top 

 of the head become first mammillated, and then carinate as they 

 proceed backwards. Nasals. — Two, an anterior and a posterior 

 with the nostril between. The eye is surrounded by small scale 

 only, and one or two rows of scales intervene between it and the 

 supralabials. Supralabials . — 12 to 15, the anterior largest, and 

 distinctly higher than broad. Mental. — Small. Infralahial. — 17 to 

 20, the anterior largest, much deeper than broad, the first do not 

 meet behind the mental. Gostals. — Two heads-lengths behind the 

 head 38 to 46, midbody 40 to 53, two heads-lengths before vent 

 24 to 35 ; keeled (except the 7 to 10 lowest rows anteriorly, 9 to- 

 13 in midbody, and 2 to 6 posteriorly). The keels are peculiar, 

 seen in profile thej' gradually incline upwards from the base of 

 the scale to a point about one-third from the apex when they 

 decline to the apex. In the most posterior scales they suddenly 

 decline from the summit, so that they appear 

 ^ , ^^""^" l 7 in outline as shown in our diagram. The 



^^■"""""^ dorsal scales are a shade longer than broad, 



those in the last 3 subcostal rows progressively 

 increase in size, and their breadth exceeds 

 their length, the last being \ or a shade less than \ the breadth 

 of the ventrals. Yentrals. — Narrow, 162 to 186. Anal^ — Divided 

 into 3 parts, a larger median, and two small lateral portions. 

 Subeaudals. — 17 to 24, frequently entire, but usually some, often 

 many divided. 



Dentition. — The maxillary teeth number from 13 to 15, the first 

 3 progressively increase, and the posterior gradually decrease in 

 length. The ijalatine are 5 in number, and \hQ ^pterygoid 14 to 15. 

 The mandibular array number 20, the anterior are largest, and 

 these progressively decrease to about the 7th tooth, after which 

 they are subequal. 



Our plate is good except that the neck is shown far too e.vident 

 and the nasal shields are shown in contact, whereas they are really 

 separated by a pair of internasals. The irregularity of the pattern 

 is well rendered, and in no two specimens will this be found quite 



