346 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



June 20 and 30, the other on July 3, 1917. In both specimens 

 parturition appeared to be imminent. 



(d) The Brood : Both my specimens just referred to con- 

 tained four sacs, the longest of which measured 70 mm. (2f 

 inches). I have seen a third specimen which held two 

 sacs. 



Growth. — (a) The Young : The eight unborn embryos 

 extracted from my two gravid females varied in length from 

 342 to 378 mm. (131 to 14} inches). 



(d) Maturity : My gravid females measured respectively 

 915 and 953 mm. (3 feet and 3 feet 1| inches). A gravid 

 Madras specimen preserved in Bombay is 788 mm. (2 feet 7 

 inches). 



(c) Maximum Length : Boulenger gives the longest 

 measurement in the British Museum as 1,000 mm. (3 feet 3| 

 inches). Murray gives the length of a Karachi specimen 

 (H. lindsayi) as 1,042 mm. (3 feet 5 inches). 



Poison. — No casualties referable to this snake have been 

 reported, and no experiments have been made with the venom. 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : Rather broader than 

 high ; not projected below the level of the lip ; visible portion 

 seen above half to three-fifths the suture between the nasals. 

 Nasals : If a suture proceeds from the nostril, it passes to the 

 2nd supralabial. Prefrontals : Touch the 2nd supralabial. 

 Frontal: Entire; longer than broad; the fronto -supra- 

 ocular sutures subequal to or rather longer than the fronto - 

 supraoculars. Parietals : Entire ; touching the postocular. 

 Preeocular : One. Postocular : One. Temporals : One large 

 anterior shield, succeeded by a large posterior, which is as 

 large or even larger. Supralabials : Six or seven, not subject 

 to division ; the first five large ; 1st and 2nd touching the 

 nasals; 3rd and 4th the eye; 5th and 6lh,or 5th, 6th, and 7th 

 the anterior temporal ; last not touching the posterior temporal. 

 Sublinguals : Two pairs, the fellows of each in contact with 

 one another. Infralabials : Four ; the suture between the 

 1st as long as or longer than that between the anterior 

 sublinguals ; 3rd or 4th touching the posterior sublinguals ; 4th 



