Page:The poisonous snakes of India. For the use of the officials and others residing in the Indian Empire (IA poisonoussnakeso01ewar).pdf/57

 TRIMERESURUS ANAMALLENSIS.

The description of this snake by Günther is as follows:-" The second upper labial shield forms the front part of the facial pit, generally a small shield between the supra-nasals. Scales on the head and on the body more or less distinctly keeled, in twenty-one series. Ventrals, 148-158; sub-caudals, 51-55. Ground colour generally yellowish green, with a dorsal series of large rlombic black spots, cach spot subdivided by or variegated with yellow. Upper side of the head marbled with black in adult specimens, uniform greenish in young ones; black or brown band runs from the back edge of the eye to the angle of the mouth; supra-ciliary, with one or two black cross streaks. Belly yellowish green, with numerous yellow and green spots along its side. Tail black, with yellow and green spots. Young specimens may be recognised by the dark temple streak; but nearly all the other markings are very indistinct, and the ground colour is a reddish olive; tail with white extremity.

"A specimen received with others from the same locality has a brownish purple ground colour, with a dorsal series of brown spots; belly marbled with purple; tail black, with irregular greenish rings, and with some indistinct small yellowish spots. This specimen also has the supra-ciliary divided into two; but, nevertheless, we consider it merely a variety of about a dozen specimens from the Anamally Mountaius; the largest is twenty-four inches long, tail measuring three and a half inches."

Of three specimens forwarded by Dr. Shortt, of Madras, to Sir Joseph Fayrer, one was nineteen inches long, one inch and three-quarters in girth, tail measuring two inches and three-quarters; a second was twenty-seven inches long, and two inches and three-quarters in girth, tail being three inches and a half; whilst a third one, which had