260 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



(b) Early Life : I find the young double their length in the 

 first year of life, and have about trebled it by the end of the 

 second year. It would probably take another two years before 

 specimens attained to 3 feet, and I have examples of such, 

 3 feet 1 inch and 3 feet 3 inches, in June from Burma. 



(c) Maturity : Unfortunately I have lost my detailed notes 

 regarding the length of my gravid females, so am unable to 

 say when the species is sexually mature. 



(d) Maximum Length : Most specimens range between 2 and 

 3 feet, and anything over this is unusual. The longest of 

 which I am aware is that reported by Stoliczka from Burma, 

 which was 1,270 mm. (4 feet 2 inches). 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : In contact with 4 shields, 

 the rostro-nasal and rostro -labial sutures subequal ; sometimes 

 a partial median suture is seen in the upper part of the shield. 

 Inter nasals : Two ; sub -triangular ; their bases apposed in the 

 median line, the sutures between them equal to or rather greater 

 than that between the prefrontal fellows, subequal to the 

 internaso -prefrontal sutures. Prsefronttls : Two : the suture 

 between them subequal to the prsefron to -frontal ; in contact 

 with internasal, loreal, and praeocular. Frontal : In contact 

 with 7 shields, frequently more or less disintegrated posteriorly. 

 Parietals : Disintegrated into many parts. Nasals : In con- 

 tact behind the rostral ; touching the first labial only. Loreal : 

 One. Prseocular : One. Postoculars : One or two. Tem- 

 porals : Replaced by small scales. Suboculars : One to three. 

 Supralabials : Nine or ten ; none touching the eye, the last 

 three or four divided into an upper and lower part. Infra- 

 labials : Many, small. Sublinguals : Three pairs, the anterior 

 in contact with 3 or 4 infralabials. Costals : Two heads -lengths 

 behind the head 25 (rarely 23) ; midbody 23 to 25 (rarely 27) ; 

 two heads -lengths before the anus 19 or 17. Where the rows 

 are 25, they reduce to 23 and again to 21 by a fusion of the 

 4th and 5th, or 5th and 6th rows above the ventrals ; from 

 21 to 19, the 3rd and 4th rows fuse. Strongly keeled in all rows, 

 except the last, for a variable extent anteriorly. Ventrals : 

 132 to 160 ; well developed. Anal : Divided. Subcaudals : 

 49 to 72 ; divided. (Fig. 52.) 



