SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



Ueopbltis grandis Kelaart. 



(Latin " grandis " large ; evidently meaning by comparison 

 with its close allies.) 



Kelaart' 8 Vropeltis (or Earth Snake.) 



Synonymy. — Vropeltis philippinus, U saffragamus . U. 

 paradalis, Pseudo-Typhlops philippinus. 



History. — ^Described by Kelaart in 18.53. 



General Characters. — As detailed under the genus. The 

 diameter of the body is about 1/20 the total length. 



Identification. — -Easily recognized at once by the terminal 

 caudal shield which is peculiar to this snake. (See fig. 8.) 



Colouration. — Nearly uniform brown or blackish dorsally ; 

 lighter ventrally. When looked into closely the scales are seen 

 to be dark basally, where overlapped by the preceding scales. 



Habits. — Nothing known. 



Food. — Mr. Green observed one picking grubs out of cow 

 dung . 



Breeding. — Nothing known. 



Growtli.— («) Earli/ Lip .My smallest specimen was 140 

 mm. (5i inches) loii". 



(h) Ma.vi)iium LeiKjt/i . 460 mm. (1 foot 6 inches long). 



Lepidosis. — As detailed under the genus. 



f'o.'itdl'; Two heads-lengths behind the head 21 ; .shortly 

 behind this the 4th and 5th rows above the ventrals blend, and 

 the rows then remain 19 to the vnit, Vcniral.s 129 to 147. 

 SiiticaudaJ.'! : (i to 9. 



Dentition. — Piom one skull in my collection. Maxillary: 7. 

 Palatine: Edentulous. Pterygoid. Edentulous. Mandibular : ?,. 



Distribution. — (a) General : PecuUar to Ceylun. 



(6) Local: Apparently very local and a hill snake. Has 

 been recorded from Matura. Kandy, .M-.tara. Badulla, and 

 Uva District, 



Apparently uncommon or very local, Mr. Drummond-Hay 

 tells me he has never acquired a s^iecimen, 



