SNAKES OF CEYLON. 263 



little evident. Body rather robust, slightly depressed, 

 attenuating anteriorly and posteriorly. Belly rounded. Tail 

 short, being about one-eighth to one-ninth the total length. 



Identification. — The costals are 17 anteriorly and to beyond 

 the middle of the body, reducing to 15 (rarely 13) posteriorly. 

 Only one supralabial touches the eye, and the rostral touches 

 only 5 shields. Its recognition is therefore easy. It bears a 

 distinct superficial resemblance to Hypsirhina enhydris, H. 

 plumbea, and Helicops schistosus, but is easily distinguished if 

 the lepidosis is relied upon. 



Colouration. — Dorsally when wet the snake is a uniform 

 dirty olive-green, when dry grayish. The belly is buff, and 

 the last 3 costal rows yellow, outlined like the ventrals with 

 dull olive-green. The head above is coloured like the back, 

 and the lips are yellow. 



Habits. — (a) Haunts : It is entirely aquatic, haunting tidal 

 rivers and estuaries, and straying out along the coasts. It is 

 sometimes left on the shore by the receding tide, and I encoun- 

 tered one so stranded in Cannanore. It was lying in a shallow 

 pool of water, partly submerged. Nicholson records one 

 which had wandered into a dusty street in Rangoon. 



(b) Disposition : Apparently a lethargic snake on land, and 

 disinclined to bite. The one I encountered took no notice of 

 me though I walked right over it when out snipe shooting. 

 When I confronted it, it made no attempt to break away, and 

 was captured without trouble. It was a very hot day. 



Food. — No observations have been made, but it is fairly 

 certain to subsist upon fishes. 



Breeding. — Nothing known. 



Growth. — I took a half -grown specimen 318 mm. (12 \ inches) 

 long in Rangoon in June. Its maximum length, as given by 

 Boulenger, is 520 mm. (1 foot 8 \ inches). 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : Touches five shields ; 

 the rostro -labial sutures longest. Internasal : A single shield 

 separating the nasals. Prefrontals : A pair ; the suture 

 between them shorter than the prsefronto-frontals ; touching 

 the internasal, nasal, loreal, praeocular, and supraocular. 

 Frontal: Touches six shields; the fronto -supraocular and. 

 fronto -parietal sutures subequal. Supraoculars : Nearly as 



