134 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



and three or nearly three times the length of the preceding. 

 Palatine: 7. Pterygoid: 12 to 14. Mandibular: 16 to 19. 

 (Fig. 31.) 



Fig. 31. — Maxilla of Macropisthodon pkimbicolor. 



Distribution. — (a) General : Ceylon and Peninsular India. 

 Its northern boundary in India is roughly the 30th parallel, 

 and its western and eastern limits roughly the 70th and 85th 

 meridians. 



(b) Local: It is chiefly an up-country snake, which reaches 

 an altitude above 6,000 feet. It favours an altitude between 

 about 2,000 and 6,000 feet, and is quite a common snake 

 within this belt. Some stragglers reach the plains, but 

 nearly always in the near vicinity of hills. In Ceylon Fer- 

 guson records it from Palliekellie ; Haly from Balangoda, 

 Badulla,and the Northern Province ; Pearless from Moragalla ; 

 Abercromby from Anuradhapura. Mr. Drummond-Hay 

 tells me it is common on the Uva pa tanas between about 

 3,000 and 4,000 feet, but he has never obtained it elsewhere. 



Genus HELICOPS. 



(Greek " helis" rolling ; and " ops" eye.) 



General Characters. — For Indian species. Smallish snakes 

 growing to about 2 J feet. Head moderate in length, little 

 depressed. Snout moderate, narrowing slightly, rounded 

 terminally, ^dth little indication of a canthus. Eye moderate, 

 with round pupil. Nostril slit-like, placed rather high on the 



