212 



SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



contained 12 eggs ; one 367 mm. (14| inches) long contained 

 twenty eggs in two sets ; one 348 mm. (13|- inches) long 

 contained thirteen eggs ; whilst specimens less than 305 mm. 

 (12 inches long), contained from four to seven eggs. 



(d) Maximum Length: My largest male specimen taped 

 380 mm. (15 inches), and my largest females 405 and 412 mm. 

 (16 and 16J inches). 



Foes. — I extracted one from the stomach of another snake, 

 viz., Ancistrodon hypnale. 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical: As detailed for the genus, except — 

 Prsefrontals : Touch the 2nd and 3rd supralabials, prseocular, 

 eye, and supraocular. Supraocular : About half the length 

 of the frontal, less than half the length of the parietals. Parie- 

 tals : Touch both postoculars. Preeocular : Present. Tem- 

 porals : Longer than the supraoculars. 



Costals : In 15 rows in the whole body length. The lateral 

 rows about the anal region have claw -like re-curVed spines in 

 the males. Ventrals : 120 to 151. Subcaudals : 11 to 26 

 (<? 21 to 26, $ H to 16). 



(6) Anomalies — Preeoculars : I have found these Very 

 rarely absent on both sides. Postoculars : I have seen these 

 confluent with the parietal on one side. Supralabials : 1 

 have seen seven occasionally, the 5th touching the eye on both 

 sides in two specimens, and the 4th on one side in one specimen. 



Gostals : In one female the 2nd and 3rd rows above the 

 Ventrals blended shortly behind the head and re-divided and 

 re-united several times so that the scale rows numbered 

 alternately 13 and 15 in the whole body length. 



Dentition. — From two .skulls in my collection. Maxillary : 

 24to25. Palatine: 20 to 21. Pterygoid : 3U to 35. Mandi- 

 bular : 25 '! to 27. 



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



( 6) Local : This is the little snake so frequently encountered 

 inNuwara Eliya. I found fivefreshly cast sloughs in banks and 

 drains on my first walk half way round the lake in February, 

 and then captured a live specimen. Mr. Drummond-Hay 

 tells me that when he first went to Warwick estate he ofEered 

 ten cents reward to his coolies for every snake. His first 

 Sunday there produced over three hundred of this species. 



