SNAKES OF CEYLON, 9 



Distribution. — (a) General: Peculiar to Ceylon. 



(b) Local : Haly has recorded it from Colombo, and in 

 the Indian Museum there are three from Peradeniya, 

 Apparently an uncommon snake. I have examined five 

 specimens. 



Typhlops braminus (Daudin). 



(Latinized form of Brahmin, in allusion to its brown 

 colouration.) 



RusselVs Typhlops (or Blind Snake). 



Sinhalese: " Depat-naya " (two-headed snake), Tamil: 

 " Manallay pambu " (earth snake) , " sevi pambu " * (ear 

 snake) ; " pooran " * (centipede). 



Synonymy. — Eryx braminus, Tortrix russellii, Argyrophis 

 truncatus, A. bramicus, Onychocephalus capensis, Ophthal- 

 midium tenue, Typhlops inconspicuus, T. tenuis, T. pammeces, 

 T. reuteri, T. lenzi, T. euproctus. 



History.— First introduced to scientific notice by Russell in 

 1796. It is figured on Plate XLIII. of his first volume. 



General Characters. — It is less than 7 inches long in its adult 

 state. Head of the same calibre as the body ; snout rounded. 

 Eye distinct, lying beneath the ocular and supraocular shields. 

 Nostrils lateral. Body moderately elongate ; its diameter 1 /35 

 to 1/55 the total length. Tail ending in a spine. 



Identification (for Ceylon). — The costals in 20 rows will 

 suffice to identify it. 



Colouration. — Three varieties have been described. 



(a) typicus (Daudin). — Brown or blackish-brown dorsally, 

 rather lighter ventrally. Snout, anal region, and end of tail 

 whitish. Much the commonest variety. 



* According to Dr. J. R. Henderson these two names are used 

 by the Tamils of Madras. Both names are applied to it under the 

 supposition that they enter the human ear, like the centipede is supposed 

 to do. 



7 6(6)20 



