SNAKES OF CEYLON. 191 



Habits. — Diurnal, active, and fierce when attacked. 



Food. — Mammals, birds, lizards, and batrachians. 



Lepidosis. — Rostral : Touches si,x shields. Internasals : 

 A pair. Prefrontals : A pair. Nasals : Divided. Loreals : 

 One. Pr x oculars : One, touching the frontal in some species. 

 P ost oculars : Two. Temporals : Two or three. Supralabials ; 

 Eight to ten. Sublinguals : Two pairs ; the posterior 

 separated by small scales in many species. 



Gostals : Longer than broad, rectif orm, smooth, or some rows 

 keeled, with paired apical facets. Vertebrals not enlarged. 

 Ultimate row enlarged. In from 13 to 43 rows at midbod}^ 

 Ventrals : Rounded or laterally subangulate. Anal : Usually 

 divided, rarely entire. Supracaudals : In even rows. Sub- 

 caudals : Divided. 



Dentition. — Maxillary : Syncranterian or diacranterian, 

 coryphodont ; 12 to 29 in number. Palatine : Isodont, or 

 scaphiodont ; 8 to 21. Pterygoid: Scaphiodont; 14 to 28. 

 Mandibular : Scaphiodont ; 14 to 26. 



Distribution. — Europe, Asia, North Africa, Senegambia, 

 North and Central America. 



There are about thirty species, one of which occurs in Ceylon, 

 viz., fasciolatus. 



Zamenis fasciolatus (Shaw). 



(Latin, Adjectival form of " fascia " a band, and " olus " 

 diminutive, i.e., with little bands.) 



Shaw's Zamenis (or Bat Snake). 



Synonymy. — Coluber fasciolatus, C. hebe, C. curvirostris, 

 Coryphodon fasciolatus, Tyria fasciolata. 



History. — Received its first notice from Russell in 1796, who 

 also gave a Very good illustration (Plate XXI.) of a juvenile 

 specimen. Christened by Shaw in 1802. 



