A REVIEW OF THE INDIAN SPECIES OF 

 AMBLYCEPHALUS. 



By Colonel F. Wall, C.M.G., I. M.S. 



I have recently had an opportunity of studying all the re- 

 presentative snakes of the genus Amblycephalus in the Indian 

 Museum and in the Bombay Natural History Society's collections. 

 I propose to add to this material the information derived from 

 specimens I have collected myself, and to review the genus so far 

 as it concerns Indian species. The Indian Museum contains types 

 of what have been up to date accepted as three distinct species, 

 viz. modeslus (Theobald), macularius (Theobald) and andersoni 

 (Boulenger), but which, I hope to show, should be regarded as a 

 single species. It is to be noted that many of the head-shields in 

 individuals of some of the species are subject to frequent variation 

 owing to confluence. Further I notice that in many specimens 

 the details of the periocular lepidosis are difficult to determine in 

 spirit specimens. The praeocular, subocular, and postocular are 

 difficult to differentiate owing to creases which simulate sutures, 

 and it is sometimes impossible to be certain whether merely a crease 

 is present or a genuine suture. 



Characters of the Genus. 



General. Short snakes not exceeding about 610 mm. (2 feet) 

 in length. Head bluntly rounded anteriorly, separated from the 

 body by a much constricted neck. Snout short, feebly declivous, 

 with no canthus rostralis. Nostril piercing about the middle of 

 an entire shield. Eye large, with brilliant yellow iris, and a verti- 

 cal pupil. Rody strongly compressed. Tail short, about one- 

 sixth to one-ninth the length of the body. 



Lepidosis. Rostral rather broader than deep; the portion 

 visible above less than the suture between the internasals. Inter- 

 nasals : a pair ; broader than long ; the suture between them less 

 than half the internaso-praefrontal sutures. Praefrontals : a pair ; 

 the suture between them shorter than the internaso-praefrontal 

 sutures. Touching the eye (except in carinatus). Frontal longer 

 than the snout, longer than the supraoculars, shorter than the 

 parietals. Nasal entire. Loreal : one ; touching the internasal ; 

 touching the eye in some species. Praeocular variable ; one 

 usually present. Absent in some species. Postocular variable ; 

 usually one, sometimes none. Subocular s variable ; one to four. 

 Temporals variable ; one to three anterior. Supralabials : 7 or 8 ; 

 the 1st and 2nd touching the nasal, usually none touching the eye, 



