SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



457 



(b) Anomalies — P ost ocular : Rarely one. Supralabials : 

 The 2nd and 3rd Very rarely confluent. Infralabials : The 

 3rd as well as the 4th sometimes touching the posterior 

 sublinguals. 



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

 Postnodal, 3. Palatine: 11 to 12. Pterygoid: 8 to 10. 

 Mandibular : 15 to 17. (Fig 86.) 



Fig. 86. — Scales of B. ceylonicus seen from above. 



(X 2.) 



Distribution. — (a) General: Peculiar to Ceylon. 



( 6) Local : It occurs in the low-country, but appears to be 

 a rare snake there. Willey says it occurs chiefly up-country, 

 and mentions Peradeniya, Dimbula, and Balangoda. Some 

 of my specimens came from Peradeniya, Kalupahani, Haldum- 

 mulle district (3,000 feet), and Kandy, but the locality of 

 most was not specified. Mr. Drummond-Hay informs me 

 that he found it common at Lennock, Balangoda district 

 (3,000 to 4,200 feet), and also at Punagalla, Yatiyantota 

 district, below 3,000 feet. 



Genus NAIA. 



(A latinized form of Naja, which is probably corrupted 



from the vernacular " nag.") 

 General Characters (from Indian species). — The species 

 vary from about 6 to 15 feet in length. Head markedly 

 depressed, swollen behind the eye over the poison glands. 

 Snout short, slightly declivous, with obtuse canthus, narrowing 

 terminally. Eye moderate in size, lateral, with round pupil. 

 Nostril rather large, lateral, occupying the whole depth of the 

 suture between the nasals. Neck fairly evident. Body 



