SNAKES OF CEYLON. 241 



head is marked with three dark chevrons ; of these the 

 anterior passes across the prefrontals and reappears beneath 

 the eye, the median has its apex on the frontal shield, and 

 its limbs pass obliquely backwards to the gape, frequently 

 blending with the posterior, which is the broadest and situated 

 on the nape, its apex extending forwards to the parietals. 

 These chevrons are usually complete and discrete, but may 

 be more or less incomplete or confluent. A dark streak 

 is always present on the 6th, or between the 6th and 7th 

 supralabials, and there is frequently a streak in the suture 

 between the 1st and 2nd supralabials. This form appears 

 uncommon, and I only know of it from Ceylon. It deserves 

 recognition as an insular variety. 



(c) Variety spilonotus (Gunther) : Agrees with the dubium 

 of Jerdon.* This form is very similar to the last, but the 

 cross-bars are modified to form two or four, more or less 

 confluent or completely detached, roundish spots, the median 

 of which are larger and better defined, the lateral often being 

 ill-defined or irregular in form. These marks remind one 

 forcibly of a similar ornamentation seen in 0. venustus, 0. 

 splendidus (Gunther), and 0. juglandifer (Wall). Longitu- 

 dinal stripes, as in the previous forms, are usually apparent 

 if looked for. The Vertebral stripe is often more or less 

 interrupted. The belly is unspotted, and the head marks 

 are as in variety (6). Jerdon's specimen was from Canara. 

 I have had it from Matheran, and there are specimens in 

 the Bombay Natural History Society's collection from 

 Bombay and Satara. 



(d) Variety fasciatus (Gunther), Boulenger's Variety B : 

 The ground colour is buff or pale yellowish -brown. A median 

 series of largish, well-defined, round spots passes down the 

 back, some of the anterior ones being often divided . Outside, 

 these are irregularly -shaped, ill-defined, smaller dark marks. 

 There are no longitudinal stripes down the body, and any 



* But not the binotatus of Dumeril and Bibron, as erroneously sup- 

 posed by Boulenger (Cat., Vol. II., p. 243). This last is, without 

 doubt, synonymous with Simotes venustus having, it is stated, 17 scale 

 rows. 



36 6(6)20 



