458 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



rather short, stout, rather depressed ; with a shallow furrow 

 along the spine ; dilatable anteriorly into the so-called hood, 

 attenuating posteriorly. Belly rounded. Tail moderate in 

 length, being about one-fourth to one-ninth the total length. 



Identification. — The following syndrome will, I think, dis- 

 tinguish the genus among Asiatic snakes. Vertebrals recti- 

 f orm, not enlarged ; the breadth of its scales about half their 

 length. Last two or three rows rectiform ; the intermediate 

 rows oblique. Last row enlarged, and its scales as broad as 

 long. All the rows smooth. 



Habits.— Terrestrial. Diurnal. Active. Fierce when pro- 

 voked. 



Food. — Mammals, birds, reptiles, and batrachians. 



Breeding. — Oviparous . 



Poison. — Very virulent. Usually fatal to man. 



Lepidosis. — Rostral : Touches six shields. Internasals : A 

 pair. Prefrontals : A pair. Frontal : Touches six shields. 

 Nasals: Divided. Lor ml : Absent. Prasocular: One ; barely 

 reaching the top of the head. Postoculars : Three. Tempo- 

 rals : Two. Swpralabials : Seven ; the third touching the 

 postnasal and the eye. Sublinguals: Two pairs. Infralabials : 

 Five. Cuneate : Present or absent. 



Costals : Longer than broad ; smooth ; without apical pits 

 or facets. Vertebrals and last three rows rectiform, the 

 intermediate rows oblique. Vertebrals not enlarged. Last 

 three rows increasing in breadth. Ultimate row broadest. 

 In from 15 to 25 rows in midbody. Ventrals : Rounded. 

 Anal : Entire. Supracaudals ; In even rows. Subcaudals : 

 Divided. 



Dentition. — Maxillary : Postnodal, 1 to 3 ; isodont. Pala- 

 tine : Anododont, scaphiodont. Pterygoid : Anododont, isodont, 

 or feebly scaphiodont ; posterior two-thirds edentulous. 

 Mandibular : Anododont, kumatodont. The maxillary and 

 mandibular have shallow grooves on the outer faces, and the 

 palatine and pterygoid on their inner faces. 



Distribution.-- Africa and South Asia. There are ten 

 species, seven of which are African, and three Asian. One is 

 peculiar to the Philippines, and two inhabit India. Only one 

 occurs in Ceylon, viz., tripudians. 



