344 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 



The Nasals, 



The nasals are, I consider, of great value in differentiation. It is in their 

 relations with labials particularly that they desire special importance. The 

 number of labials which usually touch these scales is far most fre- 

 quently two, viz., the first and second ; but in some cases the first labial is the 

 only one to touch the nasals, and this is a peculiarity which all the Homo- 

 lopsulaz occurring in Indian limits, except Hypsirhina lilumhea, share. In 

 Tropidonoius piscator, it is an inconstant feature. Equally unusual is it for 

 three labials to touch the nasals, but this peculiarity exists in Naia, 

 Xenopeltis and Callophis. 



The Nostril. 



This has certainly escaped the due notice it deserves. In some snakes it 

 occupies the whole depth of the suture between the nasal scales, as in many 

 Coluber, Naia, Zamenis, &c. ; whilst in others it only occupies a portion of the 

 depth, leaving some of the suture unimplicated above or.below, or both above 

 and below, as in Dipsas, Simotes, Hi/drophohus. In some cases it is contained 

 far more in the posterior scale, the anterior contributing but little to its 

 circumference, as in Naia, Coluher, Polyodontophis collaris, &c,, and, on the 

 other hand the converse holds good in the case of Xenopeltis, Dipsas, &c. 

 In Tropidonoius piscator, it is crescontic (convexity forwards) and placed 

 obliquely in the upper half of the anterior scale, so that the lower horn of 

 the crescent infringes upon the posterior scale. The lower suture nearly 

 always runs to the first labial, except in Bydrophiince, where the rule is for it 

 when present to run to the second labial. 



Thk Loreal. 

 I have already discussed the confusion with regard to this scale in a foot- 

 note on page 04, B. N. H, S. Journal, Vol. XIV, No. 1. 



PfiiEOCULARS AND POSTOCULARS, 



Some confusion exists in what to consider prseoculars and postoculars, and 

 for the sake of consistency I prefer to regard any scales tunching the front 

 of the eye, anterior to a labial which contributes to the orbit praeoculars, and 

 in the same way apply the term postoculars to all scales touching the eye be- 

 hind, which are posterior to a labial which contributes to the orbit. 



Temforals. 



The only temporals which can be said to be of any impcrtance are those 

 in the anterior row, the arrangement of the postjacent rows being most in- 

 constant. It is of some importance to notice how many and what labials 

 touch these scales (or the inferior of these when more than one is present). 

 As a rule, the number is two, but in some instances it is one only, as in Polyo- 

 dontopliis collaris, Dipms cyanea, Cerherus, Fordoiiia, Platyplcclrurus, &c. 

 Sometimes three labials come into contact, as in Naia lungarus, (normally) , 

 S'-Mophis nigrescens and Callophis maculiceps, etc. 



