SNAKES OF CEYLON. 501 



Distribution. — (a) General : Peninsular India, as far north 

 as Bengal (Nerva, Russell), and Ceylon. 



(b) Local : Jerdon says " common in Burma." It is 

 certainly not common in that Province, nor do I believe that 

 it occurs there at all. Its allies, maculiceps and macclellandi, 

 are found there. In Ceylon Haly recorded one from Tissa- 

 maharama (north-east of Hambantota) and another from 

 Trincomalee. Willey found his specimen near Trincomalee, 

 and I received one specimen from Mr. Green from Ma tale. 

 Abercromby records two from Matale. One in the Colombo 

 Museum is from Balangoda (Mr. Drummond-Hay's specimen). 

 It is' a decidedly rare snake in India, and seemingly so in 

 Ceylon. 



It is an inhabitant of the plains, but ascends into hills. It 

 has been recorded by Beddome from the Anamallays, and I 

 have had a specimen from Mahableshwar (4,500 feet). 



Family AMBLYCEPHALID/E. 



Represented in South America and South -East Asia, but 

 not in Ceylon. 



Family VIPERID/E, 

 (Named from the type genus Vipera.) 



General Characters. — Head moderate to large, and in some 

 bears a scale-covered, horn-like, epithelial appendage on the 

 eyebrow. Snout very short to moderate ; with or without a 

 canthus ; some with a boss or a scale-clad, horn-like, epi- 

 thelial appendage anteriorly. Some have a large opening 

 between the eye and the nostril, viz., the loreal pit. Eye 

 moderate, with vertical pupil. Nostril lateral; small, 

 moderate, or large. Neck moderately or very markedly 

 constricted. Body moderately robust to massive, cylin- 

 drical, attenuating more or less from the middle in both 

 directions. Belly rounded or keeled laterally. Tail short. 



Habits. — Terrestrial, arboreal, or aquatic. Sluggish. Fierce 

 when roused. 



Food. — Mammals, birds, reptiles* batrachians, fish* 

 centipedes. 



