Citation link:
https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/taprobanian1888/0053
June, 1888.]
NOTES AND QUERIES.
51
A careful examination on the spot leaves it just
doubtful in my mind whether the Balalu tank was
united with the other by Dhatusena, or has since
broken in. It appears however as if he had inten-
tionally destroyed the bund of each tank, on the
approaching sides, and so thrown them into one.
Editor.
Novacula PAVO.
The fish described by me as Novacula—? in the
Taprobanian, Vol. II. p. 169, is without doubt N.
pavo, Cuv. et Vai.
Cuvier’s plate is coloured from a drawing by M.
Delisse. I imagine the artist unable to bring out
the pale shades of grey and yellow on the dead white
ground, greatly exaggerated the colouring, which
was still more intensified by the artist who prepared
the plate. Bleeker’s figure, Atlas Icth. Vol. I., tab.
XXIX., fig. 2, is better.
I will now give the synonomy and describe the
colour of the species from a specimen obtained at
Panadura in March.
Novacula pavo, C. et V.
Xyrichthys pavo, C. et V., XIV., p. 61. pl. 394.
Bleek, Atl. Icth. tab. 29. fig. 2.
Xyrichthys pavoninus, C. et V., XIV., p. 63.
Novacula pavo Bleek, Ternate, VII., p. 379.
Gthr. Gat. Brit. Mas. IV., p. 175.
Colour—Dull white, much shaded with grey, a pale
yellow patch behind the pectoral (a little exaggerated
in Cuvier, too faint in Bleeker) ; black spot with bright
blue edge anteriorly (not all round) under the 6th
dorsal spine ; fins (not head) with faint grey, caudal
bluish grey, oblique lines (greatly exaggerated colour
both in Cuvier and Bleeker). In the Panadura
specimen there is a patch of purplish grey under the
sub-opercle. The differences in the plates can be
easily accounted for by the difficulties of the artists,
the fish being really almost colourless ; and it is
curious to see its transformation to a bright pink
fish in Cuvier and Valencienes (it is pale yellow
in Bleeker).
Habitat—Bourbon, Mauritius, Cocos, Ternate,
Sandwich Islands, Ceylon.
A. Haly.
Two new Ceylon Snakes.
Much as I object to the practice of naming species
in the colonies, which have not been compared with
the known species in the large collections of Europe,
nevertheless as we have now a complete set of the
Zoological Record, in which I have made careful
search, I do not think there is much chance of the
two following species figuring among synonyms,
although the Dendrophis may just possibly be iden-
tical with one of the species described of late years
from the Philippines and other islands of the Malay
Archipelago.
It is most remarkable that such a large species
should so long have escaped notice.
Dendrophis Gregorii, a new Ceylon Snake.
Scales in 13 rows, vertebral series larger, hexago-
nal. Ventrals 176, sub-caudals 115. Loreal narrow,
elongate ; the prse-ocular extending on to the upper
surface of the head, but not reaching the vertical;
two post oculars ; nine upper labials, fifth, sixth, and
seventh forming lower part of orbit; the upper part
of the seventh is detached, forming a distinct shield.
Belly, chin, and throat yellowish, the rest pale grey,
shaded with darker, and spotted and blotched with
black; upper part dark olive with a few indistinct
blackish splotches and bars.
Length 4 ft. 1 in.
One specimen ; Dikmukalana Estate, Ballangodda,
2150 ft. June 1888.
I have ventured to name this fine species after Sir
W. H. Gregory, K.C.M.G., the founder of the
Museum.
Odontomus Fergusonii, a new Ceylon Snake.
Under No. 26 of the Museum list there are speci-
mens of a snake in the Colombo Museum which do
not exactly agree with Odontomus fasciatus or any
other of the species. They have the same tendency
to shortness in the number of ventrals and sub-
caudals that we find in the Ceylon specimens of
Tropidonotus plumbicolor.
The following synopsis will show the relationship
of the Ceylon form to the Indian species.
I propose to name it after the late Mr. William
Ferguson, F.L.S., who presented the Museum with
a large and valuable collection of reptiles.
0. nympha, Baud—
Colour agrees exactly with 0. gracilis.
A. Haly.
Scales.
13 Apical groove
Ventrals. Sub-caudals. Labials.
234-243
82-87 8
0. semifasciatus, Gthr.—
13 Apical groove
232
84 7
0. gracilis, Gthr.—
15 No apical groove
234
81
0. fergusonii, Haly—
15 No apical groove
199-207
75
Obsolete Gods and Devils of the Sinhalese.
No. 1.—Their classes.
Under this heading I propose to commence a
series of short notes, upon the obsolete gods and
devils, and all appertaining to their worship, and for
convenience of the student they will be numbered
consecutively, irrespective of author. The subject
is still too little elucidated to render a consecutive
account of any permanent value.
The reader may be referred however to an excel-
lent account of many of these, so far as it goes, in
the “ Doctrine of Budhism,” by Upham, chapter
“ The Demons.”
NOTES AND QUERIES.
51
A careful examination on the spot leaves it just
doubtful in my mind whether the Balalu tank was
united with the other by Dhatusena, or has since
broken in. It appears however as if he had inten-
tionally destroyed the bund of each tank, on the
approaching sides, and so thrown them into one.
Editor.
Novacula PAVO.
The fish described by me as Novacula—? in the
Taprobanian, Vol. II. p. 169, is without doubt N.
pavo, Cuv. et Vai.
Cuvier’s plate is coloured from a drawing by M.
Delisse. I imagine the artist unable to bring out
the pale shades of grey and yellow on the dead white
ground, greatly exaggerated the colouring, which
was still more intensified by the artist who prepared
the plate. Bleeker’s figure, Atlas Icth. Vol. I., tab.
XXIX., fig. 2, is better.
I will now give the synonomy and describe the
colour of the species from a specimen obtained at
Panadura in March.
Novacula pavo, C. et V.
Xyrichthys pavo, C. et V., XIV., p. 61. pl. 394.
Bleek, Atl. Icth. tab. 29. fig. 2.
Xyrichthys pavoninus, C. et V., XIV., p. 63.
Novacula pavo Bleek, Ternate, VII., p. 379.
Gthr. Gat. Brit. Mas. IV., p. 175.
Colour—Dull white, much shaded with grey, a pale
yellow patch behind the pectoral (a little exaggerated
in Cuvier, too faint in Bleeker) ; black spot with bright
blue edge anteriorly (not all round) under the 6th
dorsal spine ; fins (not head) with faint grey, caudal
bluish grey, oblique lines (greatly exaggerated colour
both in Cuvier and Bleeker). In the Panadura
specimen there is a patch of purplish grey under the
sub-opercle. The differences in the plates can be
easily accounted for by the difficulties of the artists,
the fish being really almost colourless ; and it is
curious to see its transformation to a bright pink
fish in Cuvier and Valencienes (it is pale yellow
in Bleeker).
Habitat—Bourbon, Mauritius, Cocos, Ternate,
Sandwich Islands, Ceylon.
A. Haly.
Two new Ceylon Snakes.
Much as I object to the practice of naming species
in the colonies, which have not been compared with
the known species in the large collections of Europe,
nevertheless as we have now a complete set of the
Zoological Record, in which I have made careful
search, I do not think there is much chance of the
two following species figuring among synonyms,
although the Dendrophis may just possibly be iden-
tical with one of the species described of late years
from the Philippines and other islands of the Malay
Archipelago.
It is most remarkable that such a large species
should so long have escaped notice.
Dendrophis Gregorii, a new Ceylon Snake.
Scales in 13 rows, vertebral series larger, hexago-
nal. Ventrals 176, sub-caudals 115. Loreal narrow,
elongate ; the prse-ocular extending on to the upper
surface of the head, but not reaching the vertical;
two post oculars ; nine upper labials, fifth, sixth, and
seventh forming lower part of orbit; the upper part
of the seventh is detached, forming a distinct shield.
Belly, chin, and throat yellowish, the rest pale grey,
shaded with darker, and spotted and blotched with
black; upper part dark olive with a few indistinct
blackish splotches and bars.
Length 4 ft. 1 in.
One specimen ; Dikmukalana Estate, Ballangodda,
2150 ft. June 1888.
I have ventured to name this fine species after Sir
W. H. Gregory, K.C.M.G., the founder of the
Museum.
Odontomus Fergusonii, a new Ceylon Snake.
Under No. 26 of the Museum list there are speci-
mens of a snake in the Colombo Museum which do
not exactly agree with Odontomus fasciatus or any
other of the species. They have the same tendency
to shortness in the number of ventrals and sub-
caudals that we find in the Ceylon specimens of
Tropidonotus plumbicolor.
The following synopsis will show the relationship
of the Ceylon form to the Indian species.
I propose to name it after the late Mr. William
Ferguson, F.L.S., who presented the Museum with
a large and valuable collection of reptiles.
0. nympha, Baud—
Colour agrees exactly with 0. gracilis.
A. Haly.
Scales.
13 Apical groove
Ventrals. Sub-caudals. Labials.
234-243
82-87 8
0. semifasciatus, Gthr.—
13 Apical groove
232
84 7
0. gracilis, Gthr.—
15 No apical groove
234
81
0. fergusonii, Haly—
15 No apical groove
199-207
75
Obsolete Gods and Devils of the Sinhalese.
No. 1.—Their classes.
Under this heading I propose to commence a
series of short notes, upon the obsolete gods and
devils, and all appertaining to their worship, and for
convenience of the student they will be numbered
consecutively, irrespective of author. The subject
is still too little elucidated to render a consecutive
account of any permanent value.
The reader may be referred however to an excel-
lent account of many of these, so far as it goes, in
the “ Doctrine of Budhism,” by Upham, chapter
“ The Demons.”