350 SNAKES OF CEYLON 



History. — Daudin's name given in 1802 refers to Plate 

 XLIV. of Russell's first volume.* 



General Characters. — A rather small snake, growing to about 

 2 \ feet. Head small, elongate, not depressed. Snout 

 moderate in length, slightly projecting, declivous, obtusely 

 rounded terminally. Eye rather small. Commissure of 

 mouth slightly turned up behind. Neck not contracted. 

 Body slender and cylindrical in its anterior two -fifths ; 

 compressed and rather heavy in the posterior three-fifths ; 

 the greatest depth being three or four times that of the 

 slender anterior part. 



Identification. — The following syndrome will establish its 

 identity : Scales with a round eccentric tubercle, costal rows two 

 heads-lengths behind the head 25 to 29, and from 316 to 367 

 ventrals. The breadth of the black bands, which are broader 

 than the inter-spaces at midcosta, will afford a useful clue to 

 its identity, as no other Indian seasnake has bands so broad. 



Colouration. — The body is yellowish or grayish, encircled 

 by from 40 to 56 (58 Russell) broad black bands. These bands 

 are broader than the intervals at midcosta, expand but are not 

 confluent vertebrally, and are extensively confluent ventrally. 

 In some old specimens the bands become obliterated ventrally, 

 and converted into bars, which are well defined and retain 

 their definition in adult life. The head is entirely black, or 

 may exhibit some obscure yellow postocular mottling. The 

 tail is black, with from one to six or more light rings inter- 

 rupted ventrally. 



* The identity of the snake therein represented is, in my opinion, 

 a matter of conjecture. The data in the description are insufficient to 

 establish its identity, and would equally fit fasciatus or gracilis. The 

 figure too might represent either of these two species. Possibly the 

 breadth of the bands led both Gunther and Boulenger to identify the 

 snake with the species now known under the name of mamillaris. It 

 is unfortunate that the subject from which the plate was drawn has 

 been lost sight of. In the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, 

 where Russell's collection was originally deposited, I found a specimen 

 of mamillaris (No. 521 C.) without history, but it is evidently not the 

 subject of the plate referred to, as it has 47 bands on the body and the 

 tail is wholly black. Russell's description says the snake had 58 light 

 bands, and the plate shows light bands in the whole length of the tail. 



