SNAKES OF CEYLON. 143 



Haplocercus ceylonensis Gunther. 



(Latin implying an inhabitant of Ceylon.) 



Synonymy. — Aspidura carinata, A. ceylonensis. 



General Characters. — A small snake, growing to about 18 

 inches. Head moderately depressed. Snout moderately 

 long, broadly-rounded terminally, without any canthus. 

 Eye moderate, with round pupil. Nostril in the upper half of 

 the suture dividing the nasals. Neck not at all contracted. 

 Body long, cylindrical, slender, of even calibre throughout. 

 Belly rounded. Tail short, about one-seventh the total 

 length. 



Identification. — Bears a close superficial resemblance to 

 Callophis trimaculatus. The costals in 17 rows in the whole 

 length of the body, entire subcaudals, and 7 supralabials 

 will suffice to identify the species. 



Colouration. — Dorsally brown, with a blackish vertebral 

 line. A lateral series of small blackish spots. There is an 

 oblique yellowish, black-edged stripe on each side of the neck 

 in young specimens, which may disappear with age . Ventrally 

 uniform yellowish. 



Habits. — (a) Haunts : Lives for the most part beneath the 

 soil. Mr. Drummond-Hay tells me many were unearthed 

 when cleaning out the silt from drains in company with large 

 number of Rhinophis blythi and occasional specimens of 

 Aspidura copei. Mr. Green says he has noticed them in the 

 evening sometimes crawling about the roads. 



Food. — I opened up many and found earthworms in the 

 stomach, and liquid mud in the intestines. 



Breeding. — (a) The Sexes: Of 38 in Mr. Drummond -Hay's 

 collection, 18 were males and 20 females. Females appear 

 to grow longer than males, and males have rather longer 

 tails. 



