SNAKES OF CEYLON. 163 



Colouration. — Dorsally it is black, with from 15 to 20 white 

 bands on the body, and 4 to 7 on the tail. These bands 

 involve about two scales vertebrally, expand in the flanks, 

 and continue on to the belly, and are narrower posteriorly 

 than anteriorly. There is a white collar extending to the 

 back of the head in young examples, which disappears as age 

 advances. The belly is black with white bands. 



Habits. — Nothing known. 



Food. — Nothing known. 



Breeding. — Nothing known. 



Growth. — (a) The Young : Two specimens, evidently 

 hatchlings (or recently born ?), in the same bottle in 

 Mr. Drummond-Hay's collection measured 182 and 188 mm. 

 (7J and 7| inches) respectively. Unfortunately no date is 

 on record. 



(b) Maximum Length : One in Mr. Drummond-Hay's 

 collection is much the largest on record. This measured 

 730 mm. (2 feet 4§ inches), the tail being very slightly 

 deficient. 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : The rostro-nasal and 

 rostro-internasal sutures subequal, and larger than the rostro- 

 labials. Internasals : The suture between them half or less 

 than half that between the prefrontals, rather shorter than the 

 internaso -prefrontals. Praefrontals : Touch the internasal, 

 postnasal, loreal, praeocular, supraocular, and frontal ; the 

 suture between them much longer than the prsefronto-frontal. 

 Frontal : The fronto -supraocular sutures subequal to the 

 fronto-parietals. Supraoculars : Length three -fourths the 

 frontal, about half the parietals, breadth about half the 

 frontal along a line connecting the centres of the eyes. 

 Nasals : Divided, the postnasal deeper than the anterior. 

 Loreal : One, about as long as the nasals, not touching the 

 internasal. Prseocular : One, not nearly reaching the frontal. 

 Temporals : Two, the lower about half the length of the 

 supraocular. Supralabials : Nine ; the 1st and 2nd touching 

 the nasals ; 3rd, 4th, and 5th the eye ; and the 5th, 6th, 

 and 7th the lower temporal. Sublinguals : The pairs 

 subequal ; the posterior touching the 5th and 6th infralabials. 

 Infraldbials : Six ; the 6th nearly as long as the posterior 



