Page:The poisonous snakes of India. For the use of the officials and others residing in the Indian Empire (IA poisonoussnakeso01ewar).pdf/42

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BUNGARUS CÆRULEUS.

Callophis Macclellandia.

This species of callophis is described by Günther as follows:- Upper labials, seven; temporals, small, 1+1+1; anal bifid. Head and neck black above, with a yellow cross band behind the eyes. Body and tail reddish brown, generally with a black vertebral line from the nape to the tip of the tail. Belly yellowish, with black cross-bands or quadrangular black spots."

Varieties.—"a. Belly with uninterrupted black cross-bands, alternately limited to the belly, or extending up the sides of the body, to cover scales of the four outer rows, and give the appearance of a lateral series of large black spots. The three last cross-bands of the trunk form complete rings crossing the vertebral line; tail with three other black rings. This specimen is twenty-six and one-third inches long; tail, two and one-third inches; ventrals, 218; sub-caudals, 28.

“ß. Belly with quadrangular black spots, rather irregularly disposed, and not extending up the sides. Tail without black rings. This specimen is eighteen inches long; tail, one and a half inch; ventrals, 224; sub-caudals, 25.

"y. The cross-bands reach entirely across the back, forming rings, from twenty-two to twenty-eight in number; no black vertebral line, which, liowever, is indicated by isolated small spots. Ventrals, 198– 218; sub-caudals, 27-34. Varieties u and B are from Nepaul and Darjeeling; y froin Assan."