226 CAPT. R. H. BEDDOME ON NEW UROPELTIDjE. [JuUC 9, 



Strongly 2-3-keeled ; terminal scale large, slightly bicuspid. Scales 

 of the body in 17 rows, on the neck in 19. Eye very large. Total 

 length 9 inches. Colour blackish, with large dull yellowish white 

 mottlings (the two colours nearly equally divided); tail beneath 

 black, with a yellowish band on each side. Abdominals 134 ; sub- 

 caudals 10. 



Shevaroy Hills (4500 feet elevation). Forwarded to me by Dr. 

 Short. 



2. SiLYBURA OCELLATA. 



Rostral pointed and much produced ; nasal scutella meeting be- 

 hind the rostral, and separating it from the frontals ; eye very small, 

 obscure, in front of ocular shield ; other shields and labials as in the 

 genus; scales round the neck in 18 rows, round the trunk in 17 ; 

 caudal disk not very clearly defined ; scales 2-5-keeled ; terminal 

 shield entire, or slightly 2-3"- pronged ; abdominals 199 ; subcaudals 

 8 or 10 pairs, some generally entire. Total leiigth 14| inches. 

 Colour of the body of the male yellowish, becoming gradually brown 

 near the head and tail, of the female dull brownish, of the young 

 dark purplish brown ; all banded witli transverse rows of four or five 

 black-edged white or yellow spots (like eyes), generally rather irre- 

 gularly placed. Sides' of the belly with transverse, very irregular- 

 shaped, yellow or white blotches, rarely meeting over the abdominals, 

 and forming a transverse band. 



Walaghat, on the western slopes of the Nilgherries, at an eleva- 

 tion of 3500 feet, in the dense moist forests. I procured three 

 specimens — male, female, and young. 



3. SiLYBURA BREVis, Giiuthcr. 



The specimen here figured only differs from the one described by 

 Dr. Giinther in having sixteen rows of scales instead of seventeen, 

 and in the terminal scale of the tail being entire and not bicuspid. 



I procured this specimen on the Nilgherries ; the one described 

 by Dr. Giinther was found on the Anamallays. 



4. SlI.YBURA NILGHERRIENSIS. (PI. XXVI. fig. 1.) 



Scales in 1 7 rows ; anal large, bifid ; subcaudals 9 ; snout obtuse : 

 rostral far produced back between the nasals ; nasals just meeting 

 behind the rostral ; vertical 6-sided, pointed in front and behind ; 

 eye rather large, in front of ocular shield ; caudal disk well defined : 

 scales very prominently 2-3-keeled ; terminal scale ending in two 

 points. Colour of the body of an indigo-hue, with small dull yellow 

 blotches; belly dull yellowish. Length 17 inches; circumference 

 3 inches. 



Ootacamund, Nilgherries, 7000 feet elevation. 



This is by far the largest Earth-snake we have in Southern India. 



It is possible that 5'. brevis may be the young of this species : they 

 are, however, found at different elevations ; and without intermediate 

 forms I cannot venture to vmite them, that being the smallest Earth- 

 snake in our presidency, and this the largest. There is, however. 



