SNAKES OF CEYLON, 385 



Gostals : Longer than broad and imbricate on the cylindrical 

 anterior part of the body ; as broad or broader than long 

 and imbricate on the posterior compressed part, with a short 

 keel occupying about the median three-fifths of each scale. 

 In 27 to 32 rows two heads -lengths behind the head ; 36 to 43 

 in midbody ; and 36 to 42 two heads -lengths before the vent. 

 Ventrals : 305 to 339 ; entire throughout, and nearly twice 

 the breadth of the last costal rows. 



(6) Anomalies — Nasals: Sometimes divided into three parts 

 by three triradiate sutures from the nostril. Prefrontals : 

 I have seen them touching the 2nd supralabial on one side 

 in two specimens. Sublinguals : The fellows of the posterior 

 pair sometimes in contact. Cuneate : Sometimes two after the 

 3rd infralabials. 



Dentition. — Detailed under the genus. 



Distribution. — (a) General: From the Sunderbunds to the 

 Burmese Coast (Straits of Malacca, Boulenger). 



(6) Local : Apparently a rare snake. Russell's type was 

 from the Sunderbunds. Evans and I obtained two in Burma, 

 one at Watiya 40 miles from the sea, and the other from 

 Mayaungmya 50 miles from the sea. Boulenger's type of 

 hendersoni is from Rangoon. Three specimens in the Indian 

 Museum No. 8,235, identified by Sc later as H. dayanus, and 

 Nos. 8,239 and 8,240 have no recorded habitat. 



I have examined nine specimens. 



Genus KERILIA. 



(Latinized version of the vernacular name " Keril," 



Kerilia imbricata.) 



General Characters. — Length moderate. Habit robust. 



Diameter of body anteriorly about half that of the extreme 



posterior depth. 



Cranial Osteological Characters. — Nasals : Sutured to pre- 

 frontals and frontal, longer than the frontal. Prefrontals : 

 Meeting parietal and postfrontals. Frontals : As broad as 

 long, not meeting postfrontal at rim of orbit. Parietal : 

 Keeled inferiorly. Quadrate : Oblique from above backwards, 

 extreme length superiorly four-fifths its depth. Maxilla: 

 Extends beyond the palatine anteriorly and posteriorly. 



