Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 117 



Length of the head, ft. 3 inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 8 1 



Ditto ditto tail, 2 4 



10 ft. 8 inch. 



Circumference of the neck 5|, of the trunk 8f, of the tail, 4| inch. 



The neck is covered by 21, the trunk by 1 7 longitudinal series of 

 smooth imbricate scales : those of the two lowest series are large 

 rhombic ; of the sides irregular rhomboidal, appearing linear, all with 

 rounded apex. The Malayan individuals are of a lighter colour, more 

 inclining to yellow, than those observed in Bengal. 



Gen. Naja, Laurenti. 



Head covered with shields ; muzzle truncated ; the anterior part of 



the trunk, between the Gth and 12th abdominal scutum, considerably 



dilatable in the shape of a disk, with a large, white, transparent spot 



above, edged with black, and somewhat resembling a pair of spectacles. 



Naja lutescens,* Laurenti, Yar (D, Daudin.j 



Syn— Seba II. T. 97, F. 4. 



Naja peruviana, Lacepede. 



Russell, I. PI 6, Fig. 4, Sankoo Nagoo. 



Latreille IV. P. 27. 



Vipera naja, Var D, Daudin. 



Aspis, Wagler. 



Naja tripudians, Var. Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. 



Naja tripudians, Merrem, Var. Schlegel. 



" IJlar mata-an" of the Malays. 



Head shining dark brown above ; on the sides and lips brownish 

 white ; ground colour of the trunk buff, the anterior half of each scale 

 pale greyish brown ; beneath buff. Iris black with a narrow light 

 grey margin towards the orbit ; tongue light flesh-coloured. 



Young. — Much lighter brown than the adult and strongly iridescent. 



Scuta 189 to 193 ; Scutella 49 to 54. 



* Coluber naja, Linne, Naja lutescens, Laurenti, the cobra de Capello, ha9 probably 

 the widest range of the Asiatic venomous serpents. The species, or its varieties, inhabits 

 the countries between the Sutlej and Cape Comorin, and Ceylon. According- to Mr. 

 Hodgson's observations it does not occur in the valley of Nepal, but it ranges through 

 Hindustan down to Cape Romania, the southern extremity of the Malayan Peninsula, 

 and from thence to Chusan, 30° N. E. 122° E. It is also found in the Philippines, 

 Ternate, Borneo, Java, Sumatra. 



