SNAKES OF CEYLON. 313 



Growth.^ — (a) The Young : A Ceylon specimen which 

 appeared to have been recently born or hatched measured 

 240 mm. (9J inches). Evans, however, speaks of a brood he 

 discovered at Rangoon, the young of which varied from 114 

 to 152 mm. (4^ to 6 inches). He does not say -whether he 

 extracted these from eggs or found them inside the mother. 



(6) Early Life : My records are too meagre to enable me 

 to follow the growth of succeeding broods. 



(c) Maturity: My smallest gravid examj)le was 1,093 mm. 

 (3 feet 7 inches). 



(d) Maximum Length . Specimens over 4 feet are unusual. 

 The largest I know of was acquired by Evans and me in 

 Burma, and taped 1,360 mm. (4 feet 5\ inches). Malcolm- 

 Smith says it grows to 1,400 mm. (4 feet 7 inches). 



Parasites. — Hsematozoa: Miss Robertson has discovered 

 haemogregarine parasites inhabiting the erythrocytes of this 

 species, and similar to those found in the common ratsnake, 

 named by Laveran Hxmogregarina zamenis. 



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

 longer than the rostro-internasals and about twice the rostro- 

 labials. Internasals : The suture between th«m two-thirds 

 to three-fourths that between the praefrontals, two-thirds to 

 three-fourths the internaso-prsefrontals. Prasfrontals : The 

 sutures between them subequal to or rather longer than the 

 prsefronto-frontals ; touching the internasal, postnasal, loreal, 

 prseocular, and sometimes supraocular. Frontal . The fronto- 

 supraocular sutures three times the length of the fronto- 

 parietals. Supraoculars : As long as the frontal, and about 

 the same breadth as the frontal along a line connecting the 

 centres of the eyes. Nasals : Divided. Loreal : Longer 

 than deep, about two-thirds the length of the nasals. 

 Prseocular : Touching or almost touching the frontal. 

 Postoculars : Upper rather the larger. Temporals : The lower 

 little more than half the length of the supraocular. 

 Supralahials : Nine ; the 1st and 2nd touching the nasals ; the 

 4th, 5th, and 6th, or 5th and 6th only touching the eye ; and 

 the 6th, 7th, and 8th, or 7th and 8th only touching the lower 



45 6(6)20 



