282 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



DrPSADOMOKPHUS BEDDOMBl Wall.* 



(Named in honour of the late Colonel Beddome.) 



Beddome's Catsnake. 



SyVLOnyray. ^DipsadomorpJms ceylonensis. 



History. — The snake figured by Seba in his Thesaurus in 

 1734, Plate XLIII., Fig. 4, appears to be this species. Described 

 by me in 1909. 



General Characters. — Similar bo those of D. ceylonensis. 



Identification. — See footnote below. 



Colouration. — ^Pale-brovra or grayish doreally, with obscure 

 dark-brown oblique streaks. There are no lung-shaped 

 marks on the occiput. The belly is grayish, sparsely speckled 

 with dark -brown, and with a few lateral spots of the same 

 colour. 



Habits. — Appears to agree with those of ceylonensis. 



Food. — I have made no observations on its diet. All my 

 specimens have been preserved in spirit. 



* In 1909 I published a note in the Records of the Indian Museum 

 (pages 151, et seq.) upon certain "forms" of Dipsadomorphus. I 

 expressed the view that ceylonensis (Gunther), as described in Boulen- 

 ger's Catalogue (Vol. III., p. 66), includes four distinct " forms," and 

 gave in tabular form the shield characters for each, upon which reliance 

 is mainly placed in the separation of the species of this genus, viz., the 

 costal rows and the numbers of ventral and subcaudal shields. I 

 suggested that each deserved recognition as distinct " species." Dr. 

 Annandale in a later issue of the same Journal (Vol. III., p. 281) dis- 

 sented from my view. A further study of the question, and the acqui- 

 sition of a much longer series of specimens, confirms the views I then 

 voiced. Thus, ceylonensis, as conceived by me, is based on eighty 

 examples, characterized by the scales being in 19 rows anteriorly to 

 behind midbody, the ventrals 209 to 240 and the subcaudals 91 to 112. 

 The aggregate of the ventrals and subcaudals is 311 to 342. This is 

 the common " form " found in Ceylon. 



I find, however, that another " form " occurs in Celyon with the 

 same number of scale rows, but many more ventrals and subcaudals. 

 In other words, it has many more vertebr:ie than typical ceylonensis, 

 and I regard it as a distinct " species," though others may accord to it 

 only the minor rank of subspecies or even " variety." It is a less 

 fommon " form," and I have only seen twelve examples. The ventrals 

 vary from 248 to 266, and the subcaudals 111 to 129. If taken together, 

 the aggregate for ventrals and subcaudals is 362 to 390. To this I 

 attach Beddome'.s name. 



