SNAKES OF CEYLON. 151 



Lycodon aulictts Linne. 



(Latin " aulicus" a house dweller, from its frequent 

 intrusion into human habitations.) 



The Common Wolf snake. 



Tamil: "vala panayan" (smooth snake), "kattu viriyan" 

 (banded snake), " shungu viriyan " (shell snake), from the 

 marks on the back. Sinhalese : " tel karawala," " alu 

 polonga." 



Synonymy. — Coluber aulicus, Lycodon capucinus, L. unicolor, 

 L. hebe, Tyleria hypsirhinoides. 



History. — First referred to and christened by Linne in 1754. 

 Russell in 1801 figured it in his second volume (Plate XXXIX.) 



General Characters. — Head pear-shaped, depressed. Snout 

 markedly depressed, with broadly rounded extremity, and no 

 canthus. Neck slightly constricted. Body rather elongate, 

 cylindrical, attenuating slightly posteriorly. Belly laterally 

 angulate. Tail about one-fifth to one-sixth the total length. 



Identification. — The costals in 17 rows two heads-lengths 

 behind the head and at midbody, 15 two heads-lengths before 

 the vent ; the loreal touching the internasal, and the angulate 

 ventrals will establish its identity. Variety oligozonatus 

 bears a superficial resemblance to the other two Ceylon 

 species of this genus, and also to the Ceylon krait, Bungarus 

 ceylonicus. 



Colouration. — This is a very variable snake, and as a result 

 has had many christenings. From an examination of well 

 over two hundred specimens, from widely separated localities 

 in India, Burma, Ceylon, and the Andamans, I notice that 

 every degree of variation is to be found between specimens 

 that have no dorsal markings, not even a collar, and those that 

 have a complete series of crossbars from the neck to the tail 

 tip. I can recognize only two varieties that I consider deserve 

 the name. 



Variety (a) Typica (Linne). — In this the ground colour 

 varies from a light brown to a tone approximating to a dark 

 cigar. The body is crossed by bars, which are yellow in life, 



