TROPIDOXOTUS. 



341 



series of reddish-brown or orauge spots, aud a dorso-]ateral series 

 of black spots ; a more or less distinct chevroji-shaped dark mark- 

 ing, jDoiutiug forwards, may be present on the nape ; anterior part 

 of belly with large qnadrangiilar blackish-brown spots, posterior 

 part and louer side of the tail clouded with brown. 



Total length 39 inches; tail 7. 



Hah. Eastern Himalayas (4000 feet), Kh.isi Hills, ICakhyen Hills, 

 and Pegu Hills. 



This snake is remarkable for its dilatable neck, witli the scaling 

 very similar to that of a Cobra, for which. Dr. Giinther says, it is 

 frequently taken. 



Genus TROPIDONOTUS, 



Kuhl, in Feru.ssac, Bull. Sc. Nat. ii, 1824, p. 81 ; Bole. Isis, 1827, p. 518. 



Maxillary teeth 12 to 22, posterior longest ; mandibular teeth 

 subequal. Head distinct from neck ; eye moderate or rather large. 



Fig. 100.— Head of Tropidonotus 2)iscafor. 



with round pupil ; head-shields normal. Body more or less elon- 

 gate, cylindrical ; scales keeled, rarely smooth, in 15 to 29 rows, 

 with or \Aithout apical pits ; ventrals rounded ; subcaudals in two 

 rows. 



A large genus, distributed over the greater part of the Northern 

 Hemisphere, together with the Malayan and Papuasian Islands, 

 and North Australia; the bulk of the species inhabiting the East 

 Indies and North America. Many of these snakes are aquatic 

 in their habits, and the majority feed on batrachians and fishes ; 

 some are oviparous, others ovoviviparous. 



