48 SNAKES OF CEYLON, 



Python molurus Linne. 



(Greek " molouros " some kind of snake, the identity 

 of which is now uncertain.) 



The Indian Python. 



Tamil : " periya pambu " (large snake), " malai pambu " 

 (hill snake), " kaloodai viriyan " (ass viper). /Sinhalese : 

 " pimbera "* (Ferguson). 



Synonymy. — Coluber molurus, Boa ordinata, B. cinerea, 

 B. castanea, B. albicans, B. orbiculata, Python bora, P. tigris, 

 P. ordinatus, P. bivittatus. 



History. — The snake depicted in 1734 by Seba on Plate 

 XXXVII., fig. 1, of his " Thesaurus " appears to be this 

 species. It is said to be from India, but its name " ninti 

 polonga " indicates Ceylon. Our oldest zoologists used 

 " India ? ' in a very inexact manner. It was described by 

 Linne in 1766. Subsequently Russell in 1796 figured it no 

 less than four times in his first volume. (Plates XXII., 

 XXIII., XXIV., and XXXIX.) 



Identification. — There are over 60 rows of costals at 

 midbody. This alone will identify the snake. In addition, 

 the python presents curious depressions on the rostral, 

 and the two first labials, which are seen in no other Ceylon 

 snake. 



Colouration. — On the head the marks vary a good deal with 

 age, and in all individuals vary much according to whether 



* According to the famous John Ray the word anaconda is Sinhalese, 

 and not South American as one might suppose. His friend Dr. Tancred 

 Robinson gave him a catalogue of the Indian snakes he had noted in 

 the Leyden Museum. No. 8 on this list read as follows: — " 8 serpens 

 indicus bubalinus anacondaia zeylonibus, idest bubalorum aliornmque 

 jumentorum membra conterens." Yule says he can find no mention of 

 the name anaconda in old South American literature, and suggests that 

 it is derived from the Sinhalese " anai " elephant, and " kondra " 

 which vanquished. I am told that the Tamil is " anai " elephant, and 

 " kolra " killer. 



