SNAKES OF CEYLON. 207 



Distribution. — (a) General : Peculiar to Ceylon. 



(6) Local : It is fairly common about Kandy. A man I 

 sent out for snakes brought in three alive one evening, and I 

 found a recently cast slough the same day in a bank by the 

 lake. Green obtained one at Peradeniya, and I have seen 

 others from the same locality. Haly records one from the 

 Horton Plains, and another from Colombo. I examined one 

 collected at Veyangoda by Mr. Carlos BeVen. Mr. Drummond- 

 Hay tells me he has never had a specimen, which is remarkable. 



Aspidura copei Gunther. 



Cope's Aspidura. 

 (Named after Mr. E. Cope.) 



Synonymy. — Aspidura brachyorrhos . 



History. — Described by Gunther in 1864. 



General Characters. — As detailed for the genus. The snout 

 is obtusely rounded terminally. The tail accounts for about 

 one-sixth the total length. 



Identification. — The costals in 17 rows, the absence of a 

 prseocular, and the contact of two postoculars with the parietal 

 indicate this species. 



Colouration. — Dorsally brownish, powdered with blackish. 

 A series of paired, black, light-edged spots down the back. 

 An oblique black streak on each side of the neck. Labials 

 with blackish posterior borders. Ventrally yellowish, mottled 

 with brown. 



Habits. — Nothing known. 



Food. — Nothing known. 



Breeding. — (a) Method of Reproduction : Not known. 



(b) Season: A gravid female preserved in the Colombo 

 Museum was killed in January, 1906, at Avissawella. 



(c) The Eggs : The specimen just alluded to contained 21 

 eggs (7 in one ovary and 14 in the other). These measured 

 20 by 10 *3 mm. (f by \ an inch), and were remarkably round. 

 From this it would appear to be the most prolific species of 

 the genus. 



Growth. — {a) Maturity : The one gravid female on record 

 measured 635 mm. (2 feet 1 inch). 



(6) Maximum Length : 635 mm. (2 feet 1 inch). 



