230 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



Identification. — The two most distinctive features are 

 that the suture between the internasals is half or less than 

 half the internaso -prefrontals, and the suture between the 

 prefrontals much shorter than the prsefronto-frontals. The 

 breadth of the costals is three-fourths or more than three- 

 fourths their length. 



Habits. — Terrestrial. Diurnal. Active. Courageous. 

 Food. — Chiefly lizard's (snake's ?) eggs and frog's spawn. 

 Sometimes lizards and other reptiles. 

 Breeding. — As far as is known oviparous. 

 Poison. — Non-poisonous. 



Lepidosis (for Indian species). — Rostral: Touching six 

 shields (eight in splendidus). Internasals : A pair usually 

 (four in a transverse series in splendidus, absent in brevicauda). 

 Prefrontals: Two. Frontal: Touches six shields. Nasals: 

 Entire or divided. Loreal : Present or absent. Prseoculars : 

 One. Postoculars : One or two. Temporals : One or two. 

 Supralabials : Six, seven, or eight ; one or two touching the eye. 

 Sublinguals : Two pairs ; the posterior subequal to or smaller 

 than the anterior. 



Costals : At midbody longer than broad, rectiform, 

 smooth, without apical pits or facets. Vertebrals not enlarged. 

 Ultimate row enlarged. In 13 to 21 rows. Ventrals : 

 Rounded or angulate laterally. Anal : Entire or divided. 

 Supracaudals : In even rows. Subcaudals : Divided. 



Dentition. — Maxillary : Syncranterian, anododont, markedly 

 coryphodont ; with or without an edentulous space ante- 

 riorly ; posterior teeth Very much compressed, and like the 

 blade of a Gurkha's kukri, hence the name I have applied to 

 these snakes. (See Fig. 49.) Palatine : Teeth small and 

 few, isodont ; with or without an edentulous space anteriorly 

 and posteriorly ; rarely edentulous. Pterygoid : Teeth few 

 and small, isodont ; with or without an edentulous space 

 anteriorly ; rarely edentulous. Mandibular : Anododont, 

 feebly kumatodont. 



Distribution. — Lower Egypt, South Asia, Malay Archi- 

 pelago to the Philippines. 



