250 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



about Colombo. Mr. Drummond-Hay regards it as one of 

 the commonest Ceylon snakes. He was specially acquainted 

 with it in the Ratnapura and Yatiyantota Districts below 

 about 1,000 feet, but has had it at Hopewell over 3,000 feet. 

 Practically all the small collections I examined contained 

 specimens. 



Genus ABLABES. 



(Greek " a " without, " blabe " harm.) 



General Characters (for Indian species). — Small snakes 

 between about 1 and 2 feet in length. Head small, moderately 

 depressed. Snout moderate in length, strongly declivous, 

 obtusely rounded terminally, without canthus. Eye mode- 

 rate in size, with round pupil. Nostril small, round, pierced 

 in the middle of a single shield. Neck but little evident. 

 Body rather slender, cylindrical, of even calibre throughout. 

 Belly rounded. Tail about one-third to one-fifth the total 

 length. 



Identification. — -There is nothing distinctive in the lepidosis 

 by which one can easily recognize the genus. In fact a 

 study of my skulls leads me to think that the genus as now 

 constituted calls for revision and regrouping.* 



Habits. — Terrestrial. Diurnal. 



Food. — I am not aware of the diet. 



Breeding. — Nothing known. 



Poison. — Non-poisonous. 



Lepidosis. — Rostral : Touches six shields. Inter nasals : A 

 pair. Prefrontals : A pair. Frontal : Touches six shields. 

 Nasal : Entire. Loreal : Present or absent. Prseoeular : 

 One. Postoculars : Two. Temporals : One. Supralabials : 

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

 Two pairs, subequal, or the posterior longer or shorter than 

 the anterior. Infralabials : Five ; the 5th largest, touching 

 two or three scales behind. 



* In A. calamaria the posterior pterygoid, teeth are remarkably 

 enlarged. I have not seen a similar condition in any other snake, and 

 on this feature alone I would separate this species from the others of the 

 genus with which it is now associated. I see skull differences also in 

 A. rappi, major, and frenatus that seem to justify generic rank being 

 accorded to them. 



