Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait121878roya).pdf/142

 to the length of twelve or fourteen feet, and is not only very powerful, but also active and aggressive. It is hooded like the Cobra, and resembles it in its general configuration and characters.

Günther's definition of it is as follows:—"Body rather elongate, tail of proportionate length; head rather short, depressed, scarcely distinct from neck, which is dilatable. Occipitals surrounded by three pairs of large shields, the two anterior of which are temporals. Nostril between two nasals. Lareal none; one or two præ-three post-oculars. Scales smooth, much imbricaeedimbricated [sic], in transverse rows, in fifteen series round the body, but it many more round the neck; those of the vertebral series ran rather larger than the others."

"Ventrals more than 200, anal entire; anterior sub-caudals simple, posterior two rowed, sometimes all bifid. Maxillary with a large fang in front, which is perforated at the end, showing a longitudinal grove in front; a second, small, simple tooth at some distance behind the fang. The colour of this snake varies according to age and locality. The adult is some shade of olive green or brown. According to Günther it is:—

"Olive green above; the shields of the head, the scales of the neck, hinder part of the body and of the tail edged with black; trunk with numerous oblique, alternate black and white bands converging towards the head; lower parts marbled with blackish, or uniform pale greenish." This variety is found in Bengal, Assam, the Malayan Peninsula, and Southern India.

"Brownish olive, uniform anteriorly, with the scales black edged posteriorly, each scale of the tail with a very distinct white, black-edged ocelles; as in Plyas mucosus."

"This variety is not found in Bengal; Günther says it is found in the Philippine Islands, and perhaps in Burmah."

"Uniform brownish black, scales of the hinder part of the body and of the tail somewhat lighter in the centre; all the lower parts black, except the chin and throat, which are yellow." This variety is found in Borneo.

"Young specimens have a much more varied coloration; they are black, with numerous white, equidistant, narrow cross bands descending obliquely backwards; head with four while crossbands; one occupies the extremity of the throat, the second across the posterior frontals, third across the crown of the head,