280 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



The only other specimen of that year's brood, also killed in 

 August, was 432 mm. (15| inches). 



This last must have hatched out three months or more 

 earlier. Four examples in the Colombo Museum vary from 

 287 to 326 mm. (Hi- to 12| inches). 



(6) Early Life : A long series collected in the Nilgiri HiUs 

 enables me to recognize the broods of successive years, 

 and it is evident the young grow about ten or twelve 

 inches a year. The average lengths in the months of July, 

 August, and September being respectively 23, 34, and 44 

 inches. 



(c) Maturity My smallest prospective dam measured 

 730 mm. (2 feet 4f inches), a length indicating that she was 

 about eighteen months old. 



(d) Maximum Length : My two largest specimens, both 

 males, measured 1,283 mm. (4 feet 2^ inches). Abercromby 

 mentions one 1,296 mm. (4 feet 3 inches), and Boulenger's 

 outside measurement is 1,320 mm. (4 feet 4 inches). 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : The rostro-nasal sutures 

 are about twice the rostro-labials, and more than twice the 

 rostro -intern asals. Internasals : The suture between them is 

 rather shorter than that between the prsefrontal pair, and 

 rather shorter than the internaso-praefrontals. Prefrontals : 

 The suture between them rather longer than the preefronto- 

 frontals ; touch the internasal, jDostnasal, loreal, prseocular, 

 and supraocular. Frontal : The fronto-supraocular sutures 

 are rather longer than the fronto-parietals. Supraoculars : 

 About as long as the frontal, and about half the breadth of 

 the frontal along a line connecting the centres of the eyes. 

 Nasals : Two. Loreal : Rather longer than deep, and about 

 three -fifths the length of the nasals. Prseocular s : One, 

 reaching or nearly reaching the frontal. Postoculars : Two. 

 Temporals : Two ; small, variable, about half the length of the 

 supraocular. Supralabials : Eight ; the 1st and 2nd touching 

 the nasals ; 3rd, 4th, and 5th the eye ; and 6th and 7th the lower 

 temporal. Sublinguals : The posterior are about as long or 

 onger than the anterior, quite separated by small scales, and 



