142 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



reduce to 17 by an absorption of the 4th row from the 

 ventrals. Ventrals: 129 to 157; rounded. Anal: Divided. 

 Supracaudals : In even rows, keeled as far as the fours. 

 Subcaudals : 55 to 85 ; divided. 



(b) Anomalies. — InternasaU : Divided in Variety andersoni ; 

 in some Variety typica there are three, one anterior and two 

 posterior. Prefrontals: Rarely three , in a transverse series. 

 In Variety andersoni three or four. Postoculars: Rarely two. 

 Supralabials : Rarely seven. Sometimes nine, with the 4th, 

 5th, and 6th touching the eye. Infralabials : The 5th, 6th, 

 and 7th sometimes touch the posterior sublinguals. Ventrals : 

 I have seen the last divided like the anal . 



Dentition. — From three skulls in my collection. Maxillary • 

 19 to 24. Palatine: 11 to 13. Pterygoid: 17 to 20. Mandi- 

 bular: 20 to 23. 



Distribution. — (a) General : Peninsular India from 

 about the 15th parallel southwards, the Coromandel Coast, 

 and the Ganges basin, as far east as Calcutta. Yunnan, 

 Ceylon. 



(b) Local : It is a moderately common snake in the plains of 

 India, and ascends to a moderate height in the hills. It is a 

 common snake at Bangalore (3,000 feet). In Ceylon Haly 

 records it from Kandy and Balangoda. I have seen speci- 

 mens from Kandy, and Mr. Drummond-Hay tells me it 

 was common at Punagalla, Yatiyantota District, up to about 

 3,000 feet. 



Genus HAPLOCERCUS. 



(Greek " haplos " single, and " kerkos " tail ; refers to 

 the subcaudal shields, which are undivided.) 



General Characters. — As detailed under the species. 

 Lepidosis. — As detailed under the species. 

 Distribution. — The genus is peculiar to Ceylon. 

 Only one species is known, viz., ceylonensis. 



