SNAKES OF CEYLON. 245 



(b) Anomalies — Prefrontals : Quite separated in one speci- 

 men by the anterior angle of the frontal. Lor eat : Rarely 

 absent, owing to confluence with the prefrontal. Postoculars : 

 Rarely three. Temporals : Rarely two. Supralabials : 

 Sometimes two are confluent to make six, or there may be 

 a supernumerary making eight. Anal : Rarely entire. Sub- 

 caudals : Sometimes a few at the base of the tail are entire. 



Dentition. — From five skulls in my collection. Maxillary: 

 An edentulous space anteriorly, followed by 6 or 7 teeth. 

 Palatine : Edentulous anteriorly and posteriorly ; a single 

 tooth (or none ?) in the middle. Pterygoid : Edentulous 

 anteriorly as well as posteriorly ; 6 to 10 teeth in the middle. 

 Mandibular : A short edentulous space anteriorly, followed 

 by 12 teeth. 



Distribution. — (a) General : Peninsular India and Ceylon. 



(6) Local : In India it extends to Baluchistan in the north- 

 west, and Purneah in Bengal in the north-east. In Ceylon 

 it has been reported from Colombo and Trincomalee. Most 

 other records give no precise habitat. 



It is a denizen of the plains, but ascends high into the 

 hills. I have had it from over 6,000 feet in the Pulneys, and 

 collected no less than 47 from the Nilgiri Hills in 1917. 



It does not appear to be common in Ceylon, judging from 

 available records. Mr. Drummond-Hay has never seen it 

 up-country. 



Oligodon templetoni Gunther. 



(Named in honour of Dr. R. Templeton, who obtained 

 the first known Ceylon specimen.) 



Templeton s Kukri Snake. 



Synonymy.— Nil. 



History. — Described by Gunther in 1862. It was referred 

 to again, and figured by the same authority in 1864 in his 

 Reptiles of British India. (Plate XIX.. Fig. C.) 



