SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



Typhlops mieus Jan. 



(Latin " mirus " wonderful, possibly on account of its 



diminutiveness.) 



Jan's Ceylon Typhlops {or Blind Snake). 



Synonymy, — Nil. 



History. — Described by Jan in 1860. 



General Characters. — Only about five inches long in its adult 

 state. Head of the same calibre as the body. Snout rounded. 

 Eyes indistinct or invisible. Nostrils antero-lateral. Body 

 rather elongate, its diameter being about 1/37 to 1/60 the 

 total length. Tail conical with no spine. 



Identification (for Ceylon). — The costals in 18 rows will 

 indicate the species. 



Colouration. — Brown dorsally, snout and lower parts 

 yellowish. 



Habits and Breeding. — Nothing knosvn. 



Growth. — Maximum length : Up to 140 mm. (5J inches). 



Lepidosis. — Rostral : About half the breadth of the head. 

 Prefrontal, frontal, and interparietal: Subequal; rather 

 broader than the dorsal scales. Supraocular, preeparietal, and 

 postparietal : Subequal ; rather broader than the dorsal scales. 

 Swpraoculars and prxparietals : Subequal ; rather broader than 

 the dorsal scales. Postparietal : Usually subequal to the 

 prEeparietal, sometimes broken up into two. Nasals : Some- 

 times in contact behind the rostral ; usually not ; quite 



