334 SNAKES OF CEYLON 



Costals : Longer than broad anteriorly, as broad as long 

 posteriorly ; imbricate on the attenuated forebody ; juxta- 

 posed and hexagonal on the compressed posterior part ; 

 with small, figure-of-8 tubercles centrally, one behind the 

 other. In 23 to 25 (rarely 21) rows two heads -lengths behind 

 the head ; 27 to 36 in midbody : and 36 to 46 rows two 

 heads-lengths before the vent. Ventrals : 377 to 474 ; entire, 

 and about twice the breadth of the last row anteriorly : 

 divided in the middle line in midbody and posteriorly to form 

 two apposed pentagons ; each half being about as broad as the 

 last costal row ; with twin tubercles on each divided half. 



(6) Anomalies — Nasals : Sometimes there are no sutures 

 from the nostril. Prefrontals : Rarely touch the 2nd as well 

 as the 3rd supralabials. Postoculars : Rarely two. Supra- 

 labials : Rarely the 1st and 2nd only touch the nasals. 

 Sublinguals : The posterior pair rarely separated by one 



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

 Postnodal, 5 to 6. Palatine : 7. Pterygoid : 7 to 8. 

 Mandibular : 11 to 13. 



Distribution. — (a) General : From the Sind Coast to Chitta- 

 gong. Malay Peninsula (Boulenger). 



(b) Local : An uncommon snake. The type of Boulenger 's 

 gillespiee was killed at Karachi. There are three examples in 

 the Bombay Natural History Society's collection from Karwar. 

 Kemp's specimen in the Indian Museum is from Marmagoa 

 Bay. I obtained one specimen at Cannanore. There is no 

 specimen in the Trivandrum Museum. It is not represented 

 in the Colombo Museum, nor can I find any record from 

 Ceylon. I procured three out of a total of 192 seasnakes from 

 Madras in 1917, and had two others sent to me from the same 

 locality by Dr. Henderson. There are twelve specimens in the 

 Indian Museum and one in the British Museum from the 

 Coast of Orissa and the Sunder bunds. I have had one from 

 Chittagong. I can find no record from the Burmese Coast. 

 A specimen of Cantor's in the British Museum is labelled 

 " Penang. " 



