SNAKES OF CEYLON. 305 



CHRYSOrELEA ORNATA ShaW. 



(Latin " ornata " adorned.) 



The Gold and Black Tree Snake. 



Sinhalese : " pol-mal-karawala " (Ferguson) ; " mal-kara- 

 wala " (Willey). 



Synonymy. — -Coluber ornatus, G. ibibiboca, Tyria ornata, 

 Dendrophis ornata, D. paradisii, Leptophis ornatus, Chryso- 

 pelea paradisi, G. rubescens. 



History. — Seba in 1734 was the first to refer to the species, 

 which he figured in Plate XCIV., Fig. 7, of his first volume, 

 again in Plate VII., Fig. 1, Plate LVI., Fig. 1, and Plate LXI., 

 Fig. 2, of his second volume. Russell mentioned and figured 

 it in his second volume, Plate II., in 1801. 



General Characters (from Indian species). — Grows to 4 J feet. 

 Head pear-shaped, strongly depressed. Snout moderate in 

 length, hardly declivous, without canthus, broadly rounded 

 terminally. Eyelarge, with round pupil. Nostril moderately 

 large, placed in the upper two-thirds of the suture between 

 the nasals. Neck distinctly constricted. Body rather long, 

 somewhat compressed. Belly with sharp lateral keels. Tail 

 moderate,, about one-fourth the total length. 



Identification. — The most striking feature in the lepidosis is 

 the lateral, sharply keeled condition of the ventral shields. 

 This is only seen in the genera Dendrophis, Dendrelaphis, and 

 Chrsopelea. From the two other genera it is distinguished by 

 the vertebral row of scales not being enlarged. 



The characters mentioned under the genus will distinguish 

 this from all other Ceylon snakes. Further, this is the only 

 Ceylon species -vsith the costals in 17 rows, two heads-lengths 

 behind the head, 17 at midbody, and 13 two heads-lengths 

 before the vent. Another character peculiar to the species is 

 that the last ventral shield is always divided like the anal. 



Colouration, — There are many colour varieties, but as far as 

 I am aware only two occur in Ceylon. 



41 6(6)20 



