SNAKES OF CEYLON. &7 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : Touches six shields ; 

 the rostro-nasal sutures longer than the rostro-internasal or 

 rostro-labial. Internasals : A pair ; the suture between 

 them rather shorter than that between the prefrontals, 

 half to three -fifths the internaso -prefrontals. Prefrontals : 

 A pair ; the suture between them shorter than the prsefronto- 

 frontal ; touching the postnasal, loreal, prseocular, and 

 supraocular. Frontal : Touches six shields ; the fronto- 

 supraocular sutures nearly twice the fronto-parietals. 

 Supraoculars : Three -fourths the length of the frontal ; 

 three -fifths its breadth along a line connecting the centres 

 of the eyes. Parietals : Touch two postoculars. Nasals : 

 Divided. Loreal : One ; about half the length of the nasals. 

 Prseocular : One. Postoculars: Two. Temporal: One; 

 about two-thirds the length of the supraoculars ; usually 

 touching both postoculars. Supraldbials : Ten ; the 1st 

 and 2nd touch the nasal, the 4th, 5th, and 6th the eye, and the 

 7th and 8th the temporal ; the 8th not reaching the edge of 

 the lip. Sublinguals : Two subequal pairs ; the posterior 

 touching the 4th and 5th infralabials. Infralabials : Five ; 

 the fifth broader than the posterior sublinguals, and about 

 subequal to them in length ; in contact with two scales 

 behind. 



Costals : Longer than broad ; rectiform ; smooth ; without 

 apical pits or facets. Vertebrals not enlarged ; the 

 breadth of the scales about three -fifths their length, and 

 about half the breadth of the ultimate row. Last seven rows 

 enlarging. In the ultimate row the breadth of the scales is 

 subequal to their length. The rows are 17 in the whole body 

 length. Ventrals : 151 to 214*; rounded- Anal: Divided. 

 Subcaudals : 42 to 76 ; divided. 



* Ceylon specimens give a range of 157 to 176, and subcaudals 

 52 to 64. Boulenger gives the range of ventrals from, 151 to 240, but 

 the highest count for the British Museum as shown by his Catalogue 

 is 214. I think he must have accepted Blanford's record of 240 for 

 a specimen killed in Calcutta, which is no doubt a Sagittarius, probably 

 specimen No. 7073 in the Indian Museum labelled Bengal, in which 

 I count the ventrals 235, and subcaudals 54. 



