220 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XL 



Section 



Stippled above and below with various dull shades. 



38 Dryophis pulverulentus. 

 Belly pinkish, with three brown bands stippled with black. 

 Brown, upper head shields and rostral band running through 

 eye. Yellowish, broad edges of the head shields (skin 

 between scales on anterior part of body black and white, so that 

 when the snake expands that portion transverse bars appear). 



35 Dipsas ceylonensis. 

 Belly yellowish. Brownish olive. Whole body much 

 stippled with gray and black ; markings exceedingly variable ; 

 generally there are black blotches on occiput and a streak from 

 the eye to angle of mouth. Brown, a series of vertebral spots. 



36 Dipsas forstenii. 

 As in 35. Black bases of some of the scales uniting to 

 form irregular transverse bands, which are frequently broken 

 up to form lateral spots ; bands along occiput and neck ; short 

 band each side of neck; broad band from eye to angle of mouth. 

 (Extraordinarily variable ; one specimen in the Museum has 

 no markings, being uniform gray with a reddish tinge.) 



39 Ancistrodon hypnale. 

 Very variable, ranging from flesh colour to black ; generally 

 stippled, spotted, or blotched with various shades. The most 

 constant markings are a dark temporal line, a series of spots,, 

 and a pair of whitish spots each side of throat. 



Section Q m 



Body with black and white rings. 



16 and 43 Lycodon carinatus and Bungarus 

 ceylonicus. 



Black bands, fainter on the belly ; in some specimens 

 the white rings are mere streaks on the back widening 

 downwards. In the young of Bungarus ceylonicus there is a 

 white collar, and in the very young the belly is white and 

 the collar interrupted by a black longitudinal line. 



