558 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



Costals : Rectiform, feebly keeled, with rounded apices. 

 Vertebrals slightly enlarged ; as broad as long, as broad as 

 ultimate row. Ultimate row about as broad as long. In 17 

 rows two heads-lengths behind the head, 17 in midbody, 17 

 or 15 two heads-lengths before the vent. The reduction of 

 rows is effected by the absorption of the fourth row above the 

 Ventrals. Supracaudals : In even rows. Ventrals ; In males 

 116 to 133; in females 121 to 138. Anal: Entire. Sub- 

 caudals : In males 29 to 39 ; in females 27 to 34. If the 

 ventrals and subcaudals are taken together the range is 148 

 to 172. 



(6) Anomalies — Sometimes only two infralabials touch the 

 sublinguals. I have seen the parietals partially disintegrated m 



Dentition. — I have no skull.* 



Distribution. — {a) General : Ceylon. 



(b) Local : Very common about Hakgalla. Of 47 examined, 

 specified localities are Kandy, Ambewela, and Madulkele, and 

 one labelled " Colombo " in the Government Museum. This 

 last is the only example I have seen from the low -country. 



I have seen no specimen from India. 



Genus TRIMERESURUS. 



(" Trimeres " threefold, and " oura " tail. The name was 



suggested by a specimen in which some of the median 



subcaudal shields were entire, those at the 



base and apex being divided.) 



General Characters. — The species vary from 1 to 8 feet in 

 length. Head flat and broad, pear-shaped or subtriangular. 

 Snout moderate or short, with pronounced canthus, not 

 declivous, obtusely rounded anteriorly. There is a conspic- 

 uous opening — the loreal pit — between the eye and the 

 nostril, leading to a shallow scale-lined chamber, the function 

 of which is not known. Eye moderate to large, placed 

 laterally, the iris usually heavily speckled with gold, pupil 



* Since writing this I have acquired a skull from a specimen given 

 to me by Dr. Pearson. The Maxilla carries 2 canaliculate fangs. 

 Palatine teeth number 4. Pterygoid 14. Mandibular 17. 



