302 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



As far as I am aware only variety typica has been recorded 

 from Ceylon. Variety fephrogaster is extremely rare in the 

 Indian Peninsular, but as I obtained a specimen in Trichi- 

 nopoly its occurrence in Ceylon is probable. Similarly, as I 

 have had variety /mscm-s from the Anamallay Hills in India, it is 

 to be expected in Ceylon. 



(6) Local : It is quite a common snake in Ceylon, and a 

 denizen of the low-country. In India I have acquired 

 specimens in the hills up to about 6,000 feet. 



Deyophis pttlverulentus Dumeril and Bibron. 



(Latin " pulverulentus " dusty, owing to the very fine 

 speckling of the skin.) 



The Brown Speckled Whipsnake. 



Sinhalese : " henakandaya " (Willey). 



Synonymy. — Dryinus pulverulentus, Passerita mycterizans, 

 P.fusca, P. purpurascens . 



History. — Described first by Dumeril and Bibron in 1854. 



General Characters. — Grows to about 5^ feet. Head 

 moderately depressed, broadest from behind the eyes to the 

 neck. Snout long, narrowing to a point, and terminating in 

 a projecting epidermal appendage ; with a raised canthus. 

 Loreal region markedly concave. Eye rather large, the iris 

 powdered with gold. Nostril small, round, pierced in the 

 back of the nasal. Neck markedly constricted. Body long, 

 and very slender, markedly compressed in life, round after 

 death, attenuating to the neck, and posteriorly. Belly 

 rounded. Tail cylindrical, longer than in any other Asiatic 

 snake, being more than one-third the total length. 



Identification. — The lepidosis agrees very closely with that 

 of D. mycterizans. Most easily distinguished from this 

 species by the fact that the epidermal appendage is covered 

 with small scales. The colour is brown, beautifully powdered 

 with hues of a darker tone, and there is no lateral Ught line on 

 the ventrals. 



Habits. — ^Very little known. As far as I know haunts 

 bushes and low scrub rather than trees. Abercromby says it 

 is nocturnal in habit, but I think this calls for confirmation. 



