SNAKES OF CEYLON. 43 



Distribution.— (a) General : Peculiar to Ceylon. 



(6) Local : Apparently the commonest of the Ceylon Rhino- 

 phids. Mr. Drummond-Hay tells me it was very common at 

 Hopewell estate, Balangoda District, between about 3,000 and 

 4,200 feet. It has been recorded from Punduloya and 

 Hatton. 



Rhinophis deummondhayi Spec. nov. 



(Named in honour of Mr. H. M. Drummond-Hay 

 by the Author.) 



Drummond-Hay' s Bhinophis {or Earth Snake). 



Synonymy. — Ml. 



History. — On examining Mr. Drummond-Hay's collection, 

 I found nine examples of a. snake which is new to science. 

 I also extracted one similar specimen from the stomach of a 

 Ceylon Krait {Bungarus ceylonicus), and another probably of 

 this species from another Ceylon Krait. 



General Characters. — A small species very similar to planiceps 

 and trevelyanus and growing to similar proportions. Head small. 

 Snout acute, hardly compressed, with no keel above. Eye 

 small, less than half the horizontal diameter of the ocular 

 shield. Body short ; its diameter at midbody about one 

 twenty-fifth to one thirty -fifth the total length. 



Identification. — ^The caudal shield much shorter than the 

 shielded part of the head, and ventrals ranging between 173 to 

 191 will indicate the species. 



Colouration. — -Head dark brown with no marks. The scales 

 on the body are brown dorsally, margined with blackish- 

 brown, except anteriorly, where the scales are variegated with 

 whitish streaks. No lateral whitish spots. Ventrally beauti- 

 fully dappled brown and whitish. Anal region whitish. Tail 

 blackish above and below, with a whitish lateral stripe ending 

 subterminally. 



Habits. — Nothing special noted. 



