SNAKES OF CEYLON. 23 



of the ultimate row. Last five or six rows gradually increasing 

 in breadth. Ultimate row two-thirds to three-fourths the 

 breadth of the ventrals. In 17 to 21 rows. Ventrals : En- 

 larged but narrow. Anal : Divided ; twice or nearly twice 

 the breadth of the ventrals. Subcaudals : Variable ; entire 

 or divided ; few in number. Caudal shield : Enlarged and 

 peculiar in shape. 



Dentition. — Maxillary : 3 to 8 ; anododont, scaphiodont. 

 Palatine: None. Pterygoid: None. Mandibular: 4 to 11; 

 anododont, scaphiodont. 



Distribution. — Southern India and Ceylon, mostly confined 

 to Hills. 



Key to UropeltidcZ. 



(For Ceylon Species.) 



Caudal shield as in fig. 8 . . Uropeltis grandis. 



Caudal shield as in fig. 10 . . Silybura melanogaster. 



Caudal shield as in fig. 12 . . Rhinophis. 



(A) Caudal shield as long as shielded part of head. 



(a) Rostral twice length of frontal — 



Ventrals 236 to 246 . . R. punctatus 



Ventrals 281 . . R. p or rectus 



(b) Rostral distinctly longer than frontal — 



Ventrals 153 to 172 . . R. planiceps 



Ventrals 178 to 204 . . R. trevelyanus 



Ventrals 214 to 223 . . R. oxyrhynchus 



(B) Caudal shiekjl much shorter than shielded part of head — 



(a) Ventrals 148 to 168 . . R. blythi 



(b) Ventrals 173 to 191 . . R. drummondhayi 



Genus UROPELTIS. 



(Greek " oura " tail, " pelte " shield, in allusion to the 

 curious terminal caudal shield.) 



General Characters. — A small snake growing to 1J feet. 

 Snout rounded. Eye less than half the horizontal diameter 

 of the ocular shield. Nostril small, in the antero-inferior 

 quadrant of the nasal shield. Body short, stout, cylindrical, 

 swollen, and knuckled anteriorly. Tail truncate. 



