288 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



(b) Maximum Length : Abercromby (Snakes of Ceylon) says 

 in one place it grows to 1,474 mm. (4 feet 10 inches) (page 79), 

 and in another 2,050 mm. (6 feet 8| inches) (page 47). Sir J. 

 Campbell sent me the skin of one specimen killed in his camp 

 to identify, and it measured 2,312 mm. (7 feet 7 inches). 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : The rostro-nasal and 

 rostro-labial sutures subequal, and about half the rostro- 

 internasals. Internasals : The suture between them half that 

 between the prefrontal pair, half or less than half the inter- 

 naso-prsefrontals. Preefrontals : The suture between them 

 rather longer than the prsefronto-frontals ; touching the 

 internasal, postnasal, loreal, praeocular, and supraocular. 

 Frontal : The fronto -supraocular sutures rather longer than 

 the fronto -par ietals. 'Supraoculars : As long as the frontal, 

 about half the breadth of the frontal along a line connecting the 

 centres of the eyes. Nasals : Divided. Loreal : Little longer 

 than deep, about three -fifths the length of the nasals. Pras- 

 ocular : Reaching the top of the head, but not touching the 

 frontal. Postoculars : Two. Temporals : Three ; small, half 

 the length of the supraoculars. Supralabials : Eight or nine ; 

 the 1st and 2nd touching the nasals ; 3rd, 4th, and 5th, or 4th, 

 5th, and 6th touching the eye ; and the 6th and 7th, or 7th and 

 8th touching the lowest temporal. Sublinguals : The pos- 

 terior subequal to the anterior, quite separated by small 

 scales ; touching the last three or four infralabials. Infra- 

 labials : Seven or eight, the last about as broad as the posterior 

 sublinguals, but much shorter than those shields, touching 

 two scales behind. 



Costals : Vertebral gradually developed in the neck, and 

 not the confluence of three rows ; breadth about two-thirds 

 their length, about two-thirds the breadth of the ultimate row. 

 Ultimate row with scales rather longer than broad. In from 

 25 to 31 rows in midbody. Ventrals : 254 to 270. Anal : 

 Entire. Subcaudals : 103 to 131. 



(b) Anomalies — Internasals : Rarely three, in a transverse 

 series. Loreal : Rarely touches the internasal ; rarely dupli- 

 cated, one shield lying behind the other. Supralabials : 

 Sometimes ten. Infralabials : The first is rarely divided. 



