SNAKES OF CEYLON. 371 



Breeding. — (a) The Sexes : I have observed no peculiarities 

 distinctive of either sex. 



(b) Method of Reproduction : Presumably viviparous like 

 other hydrophids, but there is no definite evidence to support 

 this view. 



(c) Season : A juvenile specimen captured in Madras on 

 June 29 appeared to be very recently born. 



(d) Period of Gestation : Not known. 



Growth. — {a) The Young : No gravid female has been 

 recorded. The smallest specimen I know of, which appeared 

 to be very recently born, was 375 mm. (1 foot 2f inches) in 

 length. 



(b) Maximum Length : The largest specimen I know is that 

 recorded by Gunther for H. ellioti, viz., 1,245 mm. (4 feet 

 1 inch). 



Poison. — Nothing known . No casualties have been recorded, 

 and the poison has not been submitted to laboratory tests. 



Lepidosis. — The shielding of the head is subject to unusual 

 variation, and the ranges of the costals and ventrals are 

 considerable. 



(a) Typical — Rostral : Rather broader than deep ; the 

 portion visible above from half to three -fifths the length of 

 the suture between the nasals. Nasals : A suture from the 

 nostril passes to the 2nd supralabial. Prefrontals : Touch 

 the 2nd supralabials. Frontal : Entire ; rather longer than 

 broad ; the fronto -parietal sutures rather longer than the 

 fronto -supraoculars. Supraoculars : Length three-fourths to 

 four-fifths the frontal ; breadth two -thirds to three-quarters 

 the frontal. Parietals : Entire ; touching the upper post- 

 oculars. Pr seocular s : One. Postoculars : Two. Temporals: 

 Very variable ; usually not differentiated, but replaced by two 

 or three superimposed scales anteriorly. Supralabials : Seven 

 or eight ; the first thiee are usually entire, but any or all of 

 the rest may be divided ; the 1st and 2nd touch the nasals, 

 and the 3rd and 4th the eye. Sublinguals : Two well- 

 developed pairs ; the posterior fellows separated, or the 

 posterior pair not differentiated. Infralabials : Four or five ; 

 the suture between the first shorter than that between the 



53 6(6)20 



