204 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



touching the 4th iofralabial. Infralabials : Four ; 4th as 

 broad as the posterior sublinguals, and longer than those 

 shields. 



Gostals : Longer than broad, rectiform, smooth. In males 

 the lateral scales in the analregion are keeled. Vertebralsnot 

 enlarged, their breadth about two-thirds their length, about 

 two-thirds the breadth of the ultimate row. The three 

 median rows subequal and smallest, the remaining rows 

 progressively increasing in breadth. Ultimate row with 

 scales as broad as long. In 15 or 17 rows. Ventrals : 

 Rounded. Anal : Entire. Subcaudah : Entire. 



Dentition. — From the skulls of four species in my collection. 

 Maxillary : Syncranterian, anododont, feebly kumatodont. 

 Palatine : Anododont, isodont. Pterygoid : Anododont, iso- 

 dont, except for last two or three, which reduce. Mandibular : 

 Anododont, feebly kumatodont. 



Distribution. — Peculiar to Ceylon. 



Five species have been described, viz., brachyorrhos, copei, 

 guentheri, trachyprocta, and drummondhayi. 



ASPIDUBA BEAOIIYOKBHOS (Boie). 



(Greek " brachus " short, " orrhos " tail.) 

 Boie's Aspidura. 



Sinhalese : " lejmedilla " (Ferguson). 



Synonymy. — 8cytale brachyorrhos, Calamaria scytale, Aspi- 

 dura scytale. 



History. — Described by Boie in 1827. 



General Characters. — ^As detailed under the genus. The 

 snout is obtusely rounded terminally. The tail is about one- 

 ninth the total length. 



Identification. — ^The costals in 17 rows, one prseocular and 

 two postoculars touching the parietal, Avheii taken together 

 proclaim the species. 



