374 



TYPHLOPID^. 



Typhlops, Bum. 



Snout covered witt large shields ; rostral larger, rounded in front ; 

 prae-ocular present ; nostril laterally in front of the snont. 



Typhlops braminus, Guv. Cat. Begn. Anim; D. et B. vi.p.309; 



Cantor. Mai. Bep. p. 52 ; Gunth. and Theoh. Bep. Brit. India. Eryx 

 braminus, DawcZ. Bep. vii. p. 379; Ind. Serp. i. p. 48, pi. 43. 



Rostral not much broader above than below. Nasal entirely separate 

 from the fronto-nasal, but in contact with the prffi-ocular, below the fronto^ 

 nasal. Nostril lateral. Upper part of the fronto-nasal almost as broad 

 as the rostral ; it extends rather more backwards than the rostral, but it 

 does not touch its fellow from the other side. PraB-ocular as large as 

 the ocular. Bye distinct. Labials four, the first in contact with the 

 rostral and nasal ; second with nasal and prae-ocular, but not with 

 the fronto-nasal ; third slightly ascending between prae-ocular and 

 ocular; fourth below the ocular and extending further backward than 

 the latter shield. Frontal, supra-oculars and parietals equal in size. 

 Body rather thicker Vjehind than in front, the circumference in the 

 middle is about ] -] 3th of its total length. Tail slightly curved, short,, 

 terminating in a minute spine. Scales of body in 20 longitudinal and 

 316 transverse series. 



Colour uniform brown, paler beneath. Upper shields of the head 

 with a faint crenellated whitish marginal line. 



Length. — 8 inches. 



Hab. — Sind, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Kutch,, 

 Guzerat, Concan and Deccan, generally distributed throughout the 

 Indian Continent and Archipelago. Common also in Ceylon, China 

 and Nepaul. 



Typhlops porreetus, Stol. J. A. S. B. 1871, p. 426. 



Eostral narrowed behind, broader above than in front. The nasal 

 touches the fronto-nasal in front towards the rostral, but is disunited 

 below. The fronto-nasals extend behind the rostral, but without meet- 

 ing. The nasal is in contact with the first and second labials. The 

 fronto-nasal touches the second labial only. The prse-ocular is in contact 

 with the second and third, and the ocular with the third and fourth 

 labials. The eye is very indistinct, situated below the anterior part 

 of the suture, between the supra-ocular and the ocular. The first upper 

 labial is very small, and in young specimens hardly traceable; the 

 second distinct; the fourth considerably higher and longer than the 

 third. All the head shields finely punctate. Scales of the body in. 18 

 longitudinal and 440 transverse rows in adults. 



Colour above pale chocolate or leaden brown, shading into paler 

 below. Grows to 11 inches. Circumference of body ^\ of entire 

 length.— (Theob.) 



Eab. — Sind (Kurrachee) Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh and 

 Bengal. 



