31 



Head shields — Normal. The inteniasals are united into 

 one broad triangular shield in contact with 

 the rostral. 



Scales — 19, keeled. 



Ventrals — 129 to 150; anal bifid. Sub-caudals 55 — 85. 



Colouring —OWve green or brown above ; sometimes 

 with two series of small black dots along the 

 back. Uniform yellow below. Upper lips 

 also yellow. 

 A thin long black post-orbital stripe is sometimes 

 present. 



Habitat — South of India and Ceylon. 



THE GKEEN KEELBACK {Macropisthodon plumbicolor).* 



Length- Between two and three feet in length. 

 Shape — Head : not markedly distinct. 



Body : stout and somewhat heavy. 

 Tail : somewhat short and tapering, in many 

 specimens, markedly and abruptly smaller than 

 the body. 

 Eye : fairly large, pupil round ; iris golden. 

 Head shields —Normal. Sopra-oculars are prominent. 

 The loreal sometimes wedges itself between the 

 prae-oculars, entering the orbit; and conversely 

 the lower prae-ocular sometimes pushes in 

 between the loreal and the supra-labials. 

 But in many specimens neither of these 

 peculiarities"occurs. Post-oculars generally 

 three. Supra-labials 7 (3 and 4). 

 Scales — 23, 25 or 27, strongly keeled. 

 Ventrals — 140 to 162 ; anal bifid. Sub-caudals 35 — 47, 

 double. 



* Tropidonotut plumUeolor — Tbe Green Ground Snake (i^icbolson). 



