SNAKES OF CEYLON. 289 



Dentition. — From three skulls in my collection. Maxillary : 

 Praecranterian, 10 or 12. Cranterian, 3 ; all grooved on 

 their outer faces, and progressively decreasing in length. 

 Palatine: 6 or 7. Pterygoid: 9 to 11. Mandibular : 17 

 to 19. 



Distribution.— (a) General : Hills of Peninsular India, 

 including the Himalayas. Plains of Lower Bengal. Plains 

 of Ceylon. 



(b) Local: All my Indian specimens have been collected in 

 the hills, or the near vicinity of hills. In Southern India I 

 consider it an uncommon snake. Along the foot hills of the 

 Himalayas it is seemingly uncommon also. In Lower Bengal, 

 about Manbhum, Mr. Warde tells me it is common, and he 

 reckoned he had killed probably fifty in fifteen years. Strag- 

 glers are occasionally met with some distance from hills. 



In Ceylon it appears rather uncommon. Haly records it 

 from Kalutara and Negombo, and I have had it from Henarat- 

 goda. Willey records it from Horana and Anuradhapura. 

 Mr. Drummond-Hay tells me it was common at Galatura 

 (below 500 feet) during floods, where he noticed it in low trees 

 at the edges of swollen rivers. He says Mr. Swayne killed 

 one in his cardamom house on Massena estate. He has not 

 seen it up-country. 



Genus DRYOPHIS. 



(Greek " drus " tree, and " ophis " snake.) 



General Characters (from Indian species). — The species 

 vary from about 2 to 6 feet in length. Head moderately 

 depressed, narrow. Snout long, with pronounced canthus, 

 rapidly narrowing to an acute extremity, with or without 

 a pointed epidermal appendage. Eye rather large ; iris 

 powdered with gold ; and pupil horizontal. Nostril small, 

 pierced in the back of a single shield. Neck very evident. 

 Body moderately or extremely slender, moderately or very 



42 6(6)20 



