88 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



snake "* Colonel Dawson informs me that in Travancore, this and 

 L. travancoricus with other species are called " shunguvarian," the 

 Malayalam word for conch shell being " shungu " alludes to the 

 marks on the back. I heard it called " choorta " in Cannanore, but 

 again here the term was loosely applied. 



Colour and Varieties. — I cannot do better than first quote from 

 Boulenger (Cat., Snakes, 1893, Vol. 1, p. 353). 



"^. — Labials without spots ; a triangular whitish blotch on each 

 side of the occiput, the two sometimes confluent and forming a collar; 

 back with whitish cross bands bifurcating on the sides (L. aulicus, 

 hmn6), 



B. — Labials without spots; a whitish collar and a few (2 — 5) 

 whitish cross bands on the anterior part of the body. 



C. — Labials without spots; no collar ; no dorsal spots or bands. 

 D. — Some or all of the labials with a brown spot ; a whitish collar 

 or a triangular whitish blotch on each side of the occiput ; back with 

 whitish cross bands bifurcating on the sides, or with a dorsal series of 

 quadrangular blotches, or with white lines disposed irregularly or 

 forming a wide-meshed net work [L. capucinvs, Boie). 



E. — Each upper labial with a brown spot : no collar : no light 

 spots or lines {L. unicolor, Boie)." 



Boulenger's variety D. includes three varieties the g, 7, and s of 

 Giinther*. I cannot see the justification for recognising any of the 

 above varieties, which appear to me completely connected, unless 

 var. B., about which I am not certain, deserves special mention. 



I find on referring to my note books that I have examined, and re- 

 marked upon 191 specimens from widely separated localities in India, 

 Burma, and Ceylon. Between specimens that have yellow or yel- 

 lowish cross bars in the whole body-length extending often on to 

 the tail, and those with, no marks at all I find every degree of 

 variation. In some not even the occipital band is to be seen, in 

 others it alone may be obscure or distinct, in others two, three, four, 

 or many cross bands may be visible, the anterior always most so. 

 Varieties A. to E. therefore appear to me completely connected. I 

 find that the colour of the lips to which Boulenger attaches importance 

 varies too. Often the upper is uniform yellow or yellowish, often 



* Kept., Brit. Ind. 1864, p. 316 



