825 

 NOTES ON SNAKES COLLECTED IN [JPPEK ASSAM. 



BY 



Major F. Wall, i.m.s., c.m.z.s. 



Part IL (With a Plate.) 



( Continued from page 623 of tlik Volume.) 



Coluber prasimis ('BlythJ. 



I had one specimen sent to nie from near Jaipur (Namsaricr).* The 

 ventrals and subcaudals were l'U+102. Anal divided. The scales 

 were 19 anteriorly and in midbody, 1') at a point, two head-lengths 

 before the anus. 



Cohiher radiatus (Schlegel), 

 One killed by some Assamese boatmen was called by them '* goom 

 phitti ". I collected 41 specimens, of which 11 were from Sadiya, 2 

 from near Doom Dooma, and the rest from Dibrugarh. Of 25 

 specimens sesed 18 were 9 and 1 $. My largest were 9 6'-0f", and 

 $ G'-O". Not only is the colour of the scales remarkable in this 

 snake, but also that of the skin. The head in life is usually a copper 

 colour, or a hue not unlike that of dried orange peel, and this merges 

 to a duller tone on or close to the neck. Anteriorly the body is adorned 

 with black longitudinal stripes, usually three in number on each side, 

 and progressively narrowing from above downwards ; the lowest often 

 interrupted. In a slough I found I noticed that these black marks 

 were faintly visible. The skin at this situation is chequered as shown 

 diagrammatically in the attached figure. The shaded squares are pitch 

 black, squares A are a pale blue-grey, and square B bright yellow. 



The effect is very striking. The tips 

 of the ton one are black. On the 27th 

 April two were reported as having 

 been seen in company pluying to- 

 gether. One, the 9 , was killed and 

 proved to be gravid, the eggs being nearly matured. This is yet 

 another instance of the conjugal attachment of snakes, which has 

 come to my knowledge of recent years. The secretion of the anal 

 glands is ochraceous in colour. 



One specimen brought in was bleeding profusely from the mouth 



