376 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



Identification. —Attention must be directed to many points. 

 The scales have a median short keel in their median third, are 

 in 36 to 45 rows two heads-lengths behind the head, 42 to 53 

 in the greatest girth ; and the ventrals number 277 to 339. In 

 a normal specimen the fact that the parietal shield does not 

 touch the postocular afiords an easy method of recognition, 

 as no other sea&nake presents the same peculiarity. 



Colouration. — The body is bluish or grayish blue dorsally, 

 merging to yellowish ventrally, and is surrounded with from 

 35 to 58 deep bluish-black bands. These are as broad as or 

 rather broader than the interspaces at midcosta, and are 

 complete in the young, but as age advances they lose definition 

 and become obscure. In many old specimens they are obli- 

 terated ventrally, and converted into bars, these being dilated 

 and more or less confluent vertebrally. The head is black, 

 and the young have a yellowish horseshoe shaped mark, which 

 becomes obscured with age. 



I have seen an adult specimen that was uniform blackish 

 blue, which must be considered a melanotic example. 



Habits. — There is nothing known that deserves special 

 mention. 



Food. — No observations have been made regarding its 

 gastronomic tastes. 



Breeding. — {a) The Sexes : There appears to be no disparity 

 in the measurements of the sexes. I have critically examined 

 the ranges of costals and ventrals in the sexes of a large 

 series, and can discover nothing peculiar iii either sex. Males 

 are extremely rough from the prominence of their keels. 

 The claspers are not bifid. The secretion of the anal glands 

 is pure white. 



(6) Method of Reproduction : It is viviparous in habit. 



(c) Season : I have exammed three prospective mothers, all 

 in early stages of pregnancy, killed in the months of May and 

 June. The most advanced brood measured only 105 to 120 mm. 

 (4-| to 4f inches) on June 17, and they would probably not have 

 been born till many weeks later. One killed on June 2 had 

 three very small eggs and a retained sac, containing a \\ithered 

 fcetus about 100 mm. (4 inches) long, the product of the 

 previous year's mating. 



