THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 209 



The accompanying map shows the exact localities known to 

 me from which it has been reported within Indian limits. Essentially 

 a resident in the low country, it finds its way occasionally to con- 

 siderable altitude. The Eev. 0. Leigh obtained it at Kiirseong 

 which is about 5,000 feet, and I had one specimen in Shillong 

 (Khasia Hills) at abont 4,800 feet. 



Its numerical strength may be judged from the following figures. 

 In Burma chiefly around Kangoon Evans and I got 11 specimens 

 out of 615 snakes of all kinds. In Upper Assam out of 615 snakes 

 collected 41 were of this species, and in the Eastern Himalaj^as below 

 Darjeeling (between 1,200 and 5,200 feet) out of 408 specimens 

 there were 6 copper-headed rat-snakes. In Lower Bengal it is un- 

 common, if not actually rare. 



Leijiclosis — Rostral. — Touches 6 shields ; the rostro-nasal sutures 

 longest. Internasals. — Two ; the suture between them half to two- 

 thirds that between the praa frontal fellows, less than the internaso- 

 prgefrontals. Prcefrontals. — Two ; the suture between them greater 

 than the prsefronto-frontal ; in contact with internasal, postnasal, 

 loreal, prseocular and supraocular. Frontal. — Touches 6 shields ; the 

 fronto-supraoculars about twice the fronto-parietals. 8upraoculars.-- 

 Length subequal to frontal, breadth rather less than frontal along 

 a line connecting the centre of the eyes. Nasals. — Two; touching 

 1st ' and 2nd supralabials. Loreal. — One. Proiocidar. — One. 

 Postoculars. — Two. Temporals. — Two ; the lower in contact with 3 

 supralabials, usually the 6th, 7th and 8th. Sti-pralabials. — 9 usually 

 the 4th, 5th and 6th, or 5th and 6th only touching the eye (some- 

 times 8, with the 3rd, 4th and 5th, or 4th and 5 th only touching 

 the eye). Infralabials. — 6 usually (sometimes 7) the 5th and 6th 

 touching the posterior sublinguals ; the 6th largest. tSuhlinguals. — 

 Two pairs : subequal in size. Costals. — Two heads-lengths behind 

 head 19, midbody 19, two heads-lengths before vent 17. The 

 reduction to 1 7 occurs shortly behind midbod}^, and is due to the 

 absorption of the 4th or 5th row above the ventrals. The vertebral 

 row is not enlarged. Keels present. Apical facets present in pairs. 

 Ventrals. — Angulate laterally; 224 to 250. Anal entire. 8uh- 

 caudals. — Divided; 83 to 106. 



Anomalies. — I have seen a small cuneate shield occasionally below 

 the prseocular, wedged between the 4th and 5th supralabials. There 

 is a single temporal in rare examples. 



Dentition — Maxilla. — 21 teeth in an uninterrupted series, 

 subequal in length, the last 3 'stouter, and more compressed. 

 Palatine — 11 to 12, subequal to maxillary. Pterygoid. — 20 to 21, the 

 anterior subequal to maxillary, reducing in size posteriorly. 

 Mandibular. — 25 to 27 subequal to maxillary, decreasing in size 

 posteriorly. 



Plate. — Our coloured figure leaves nothing to be desired. 



