SNAKES OF CEYLON. 247 



rather longer than the fronto-parietals. Supraoculars : 

 Rather shorter than the frontal, and about one-third the 

 breadth of the frontal along a line connecting the centres 

 of the eyes. Parietals : Subequal in length to the frontal. 

 Nasals : Divided. Loreal : As long as deep, or a little 

 longer ; about half the length of the nasals. Prxocular : 

 Not reaching the top of the head. Postoculars : Two ; both 

 touching the parietals. Temporal : One. Supralabials : 

 Seven ; the 1st and 2nd touching the nasals ; 3rd and 4th the 

 eye ; and 5th and 6th the temporal ; 6th often cuneate and 

 not reaching the border of the lip. Sublinguals : The pos- 

 terior touch the fourth infralabial. Infralabial : Four ; the 

 fourth longer and broader than the posterior sublinguals, 

 touching two scales behind. 



Costals : Vertebral row : Breadth of scales about three- 

 fourths their length, and about three-fourths the ultimate 

 row. Last two or three rows gradually enlarged. Ultimate 

 row : Breadth of its scales subequal to their length. In 15 

 rows, in the whole body length. Ventrals : 127 to 152 

 (<J 127 to 138, ? 143 to 152) ; not angulate. Anal : 

 Divided. Subcaudals : 20 to 34 (<J 28 to 34, $ 20 to 24) ; 

 divided. 



(6) Anomalies — Loreal : Sometimes touches the eye below 

 the prseocular. Postoculars : Sometimes only the upper 

 touches the parietal. Sublinguals : The posterior rarely 

 touch the 3rd as well as the 4th infralabials. 



Dentition. — From one skull in my collection. Maxillary : 

 7 ; an edentulous space anteriorly that would take two teeth. 

 Palatine : Edentulous. Pterygoid : Edentulous. Mandi- 

 bular : 7 ; a short edentulous space anteriorly. 



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



(6) Local : It has been reported from Ratnapura, Hewissa, 

 Balangoda, Peradeniya, and Udugama at sea level. I 

 examined eight in the Colombo Museum. Mr. Drummond- 

 Hay obtained two or three at Hopewell, Balangoda (3,000 

 to 4,200 feet), but says it is decidedly rare there. 



