37 



A dark streak on each side of the head, passing 

 through the eye. Or, two yellow streaks from 

 nose to neck, passing one above and one below 

 the eye. 



Lips : usually with dark dots or spots. 



Belly : yellowish, usually with dark dots and one 

 or two interrupted dark lines on each side ; 

 or very thin lateral black stripes. 

 Habitat — Baluchistan, Sind, Punjab. 



THE COMMON DESERT SNAKE (Psammodynastes 

 pulverulentus). 



Length — Adult length about a foot ; tail one-fifth. 

 Shape — General appearance and colour not unlike a short, 

 narrow-headed common brown tree snake. 

 Head : long and very distinct from neck. Snout 

 short and obtuse, crown flat, loreal region 

 very concave. 

 Body and tail rather stout. 

 Eye : moderate, pupil vertical. 

 Teeth : the second or third tooth long and 

 enveloped in a large mucous envelope so as to 

 simulate a poison- fang. 

 Head shields — Normal. 



Internasals very small ; prse-frontals rounded or 



angulated behind ; frontal long ; supra-oculars 



prominent ; nasal single, pierced by nostril. 



Labials 8 (3, 4, 5) ; the first three high. 



Scales — 17 (rarely 19), short, rhombic, smooth. 



Ventrals—\iQ to 167 ; anal entire. Sub-caudals 50 — 59, 



divided. 

 Colouring — Light brown, mottled. When young a 

 black vertebral stripe, with an edging of 



