314 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



temporal. Sublinguals : Posterior longer than the anterior ; 

 touching the 5th and 6th infralabials. Infralabials : Six ; 

 the sixth much shorter than the posterior sublinguals, 

 about twice as broad as those shields, touching two scales 

 behind. 



Gostals : In 17 rows two heads -lengths behind the head, 17 in 

 midbody, reducing to 13 two heads -lengths before the vent. 

 The reduction of rows from 17 to 15 is due to the absorption 

 of the fourth row from the ventrals, and from 15 to 13 to the 

 absorption of the sixth row. The steps of reduction occur 

 close together, and the absorption may be in reverse order. 

 Ventrals : 200 to 238 ; the last is invariably divided. Anal : 

 Divided. Subcaudals : 97 to 144. (Fig. 61.) 



Ven 



Keel 



Fig. 61. — Anal region of Chrysopelea ornata. 



(b) Anomalies— Temporal : Rarely one only. Supralabials : 

 Sometimes ten. Ventrals : The penultimate is rarely divided 

 like the ultimate. Anal : Very rarely entire. 



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

 20 to 22. Palatine ; 9 to 11. Pterygoid : 21 to 27. Mandi- 

 bular: 19 to 23. 



