150 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



the 1st and 2nd touching the nasals, 3rd, 4th, and 5th 

 the eye, and 6th and 7th the lower temporals. Sublinguals : 

 Pairs subequal, the posterior touching the 5th and 6th infra - 

 labials. Infralabials : Six ; the 6th nearly as long as the 

 posterior sublinguals, and nearly twice as broad as those 

 shields, touching three scales behind. 



Gostals : Smooth. Vertebrals about as broad as long, 

 four-fifths that of the ultimate row. Ultimate row slightly 

 enlarged, about as broad as long. Two heads-lengths behind 

 the head 17, in midbody 17, two heads -lengths before the vent 

 15. The rows reduce to 15 shortly behind midbody by the 

 absorption of the third row from the ventrals. Ventrals : 

 144 to 189 ; not angulate (Ceylon specimens 144 to 159). 

 Anal : Divided. Subcaudals : 34 to 66 (Ceylon specimens 

 34 to 42) ; divided. 



(b) Anomalies. — Loreal : Rarely divided into an anterior, 

 and posterior part. Temporal: Rarely one. Supralabials : 

 Sometimes two are confluent to make seven, or there may be a 

 supernumerary shield to make nine. In the former case the 

 3rd and 4th only touch the eye. In the latter the 3rd, 4th. 

 oth, and 6th rarely touch the eye. Anal : Rarely entire. 



Dentition. — From one skull in my collection. Maxillary : 

 Prsenodal 5 ; the first three progressively increasing in length, 

 the next two subequal, and about twice the length of the third. 

 Postnodal 4. Cranterian 2 ; subequal, and about twice 

 the length of the preceding. Palatine: 11. Pterygoid: 12 (?). 

 Mandibular : Pra?nodal 5 ; the first three progressively 

 increasing in length, the last two subequal, and about twice the 

 length of the third. Postnodal 12 to 13 ; small and subequal. 



Distribution. — (a) General : Peninsular India to the 

 Himalayas. On the north-west it extends through the 

 Punjab, Sind, Baluchistan , and Persia to Transcaspia. To the 

 north-east it extends to about the longitude of Calcutta. 



(b) Local : It frequents the plains, but I have a record of a 

 specimen from the Palnai Hills at 6,000 feet. In Ceylon it is 

 evidently less uncommon than past records make it appear. 

 Perhaps it has been confused with aulicus. Mr. Green 

 obtained it at Peradeniya. Mr. Drummond-Hay has never 

 had a specimen on his estates. 



