190 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



north. On the west it extends through Rajputana and Sind 

 to Afghanistan and Transcaspia. In the east it ranges 

 through Burma and Indo -China to Southern China and 

 Formosa. In the Indo-Malay Subregion it occurs in the 

 Peninsula and Java. 



(b) Local : It is an extremely common snake everywhere, 

 and essentially an inhabitant of the plains. It ascends hills, 

 and I have had it frequently from an altitude exceeding 

 6,000 feet. 



Genus ZAMENIS.* 



(Greek " za " Very, and " menes " strong.) 



General Characters. — For Indian species. The species vary 

 from less than 2 to over 8 feet in length. Head more 

 or less oval, moderately depressed. Snout moderately long, 

 narrowing to a more or less obtuse extremity, with an obtusely 

 rounded canthus. Eye moderate to large, with golden iris and 

 round pupil. Nostril Variable in size and disposition. Neck 

 fairly evident. Body moderately robust, cylindrical, or com- 

 pressed. Belly rounded or laterally subangulate. Tail 

 moderate to long. 



Identification. — There is no simple way of recognizing the 

 genus as it is now arranged. The following features will assist. 

 One, two, three, or four of the supralabials are divided, begin- 

 ning with the third or fourth. The posterior sublinguals are 

 completely separated by small scales in nearly all the species. 

 There are six or seven infralabials, the last of which is twice or 

 more than twice as broad as the posterior sublinguals. 



* The genus as defined by Boulenger in his Catalogue (Vol. I.» 

 p. 379) includes several species with sufficiently distinctive characters 

 to warrant, in my opinion, recognition under distinct genera. On the 

 maxillary dentition alone, I would divide the genus into at least two 

 groups, equally deserving the rank of genera. Apart from this, a close 

 study of the lepidosis reveals to me differences so great that I would 

 urge a revision of the genus and its separation into many. As now 

 arranged, the genus includes at least thirty-one species, and its division 

 would be a great convenience if this could be established on a scientific 

 basis. I have already shown good reason to exclude one species, viz., 

 mucosus, from this genus and place it with Zaocys. 



