SNAKES OF CEYLON. 299 



with those recorded in the experiments with the parotid 

 secretion obDryophis, and its opisthoglyphous allies." 



In the human subject symptoms of poisoning are not usual, 

 however, a sampwallah in Bangalore, when attempting to 

 capture one, was bitten on the left hand about noon one day. 

 I saw him at 4 p.m., and by that time the hand and forearm 

 were greatly swollen, and he said felt numb. He experienced 

 no constitutional symptoms, and the swelling completely 

 subsided in two days. 



In confirmation of this observation I note that Mr. Drieberg 

 (Spol. Zeylanica, Vol. X., p. 177) says : "Mr. John Still when 

 with me was bitten on the finger by an ' eye snake ' (S. gulla), 

 and was laid up with the wound for three days." 



Again, Abercromby (Snakes of Ceylon, p. 23) relates a 

 similar case where his servant suffered from local pain and 

 swelling for two days after being bitten by a large specimen. 



Parasites. — (a) Ectozoa: I have never seen this species 

 infested with either ticks or mites. 



(b) Entozoa : Dobell has found two protozoa in the intestine 

 of the whipsnake, viz., a Trichomonas and a Trichomastix. 



(c) Hsematozoa : Dobell found some Ceylon specimens 

 of this snake harboured a haemogregarine in their blood. 



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

 are bowed and much longer than the rest. The epidermal 

 appendage has usually a gutter on the top and two 

 laterally. Internasals : The suture between them rather 

 shorter than that between the prefrontal pair, and subequal 

 to the in ternaso -prefrontals. Prefrontals : The suture 

 between them more than twice the prsefronto-frontals ; 

 touching the internasal, 2nd and 3rd supralabials, prseocular, 

 and frontal. Frontal : The fronto -supraocular sutures are 

 five or more times the length of the fronto -parietals. Supra- 

 oculars : As long as the frontal, twice or more than twice as 

 broad as the frontal along a line connecting the centres of the 

 eyes. Parietals : About as long as the frontal. Nasal : 

 Entire. Loreal : Absent. Prseocular : Makes a long suture 

 with the frontal. Postoculars : Two. Temporals : One, 

 small, scale-like, half the length of the supraocular. Supra- 

 labials : Eight ; the 1st touching the nasal ; 1st and 2nd the 



