SNAKES OF CEYLON. 73 



Distribution. — (a) General : Ceylon, and Peninsula India to 

 the Himalayas. Eastwards through Assam, Burma, Indo- 

 China, and South China. Westwards through the Punjab 

 and Sind to the borders of Baluchistan.* 



(6) Local: It is a denizen of the plains, but ascends into 

 hills, on rare occasions I believe up to about 6,000 feet. 



Sub-family Boinse. 



Lepidosis (for Indian Species). — Rostral : Broader than 

 high, with or without a transverse ridge ; in contact -with 

 six shields. Only small scales on the crown. Internasals : 

 A modified pair present in some. Nasals : Two. Supria- 

 lahials : Ten to fourteen, not pitted ; 1st and 2nd touch the 

 nasals, none touch the eye, being separated from it by one to 

 three rows of scales. Sublinguals : None. A mental groove 

 in some species. 



Gostals : Atmidbody. Aslongasbroad,rectiform, smooth, 

 or more or less strongly keeled. Vertebrals not enlarged, the 

 breadth of the scales subequal to their length, and about half 

 that of the ultimate row. Ultimate row, and two or three 

 above it smooth, broader than long, progressively increasing 

 in breadth. Breadth of scales in the ultimate row about one 

 and a half times their length, and half or less than half the 

 breadth of the ventrals. In 36 to 65 rows. Ventrals : 

 Enlarged, narrow, not ridged, numbering from 162 to 210, the 

 last two or three trifid. Anal : Trifid, as broad as the 

 ventrals. Suhcaudals : Entire, numbering 15 to 53. 



Dentition. — Prsemaxillary : None. Maxillary : 9 to 17, 

 synoranterian, scaphiodont. Palatine: 3 to 6; scaphiodont. 

 Pterygoid: 3 to 15; scaphiodont. Mandibular: 11 to 20: 

 scaphiodont. 



Not represented in Ceylon. 



* In answer to my queries Mr. Gumming tells me the specimen in 

 the Quetta Museum was killed in the Habb River between Sind and 

 Baluchistan. 



15 6(6)20 



