NOTES ON SNAKES COLLECTED IN UPPER ASSAM. 839 



The snake is very much like lividus with which it was confused by 

 Sclater*. I have examined two of the three examples he referred tc 

 which prove to be examples of niger : the third probably a true lividus 

 is no longer in the Indian Museum. I have now examined 18 

 specimens of niger, and 13 of lividus and find that in the former the 

 vertebrals are broader than long in the middle of the body, and 

 the ventrals and subcaudals are more numerous. In the latter the 

 vertebrals are but slightly enlarged on the body. Our artist has 

 shown them distinctly broader than is actually the case in figure 

 8 of our Plate. In all my specimens the length of these shields 

 exceeds the breadth at midbody. As in other Kraits the eye in 

 life is quite black so that the pupil cannot be seen. The tongue tips 

 too are white. The secretions of the anal glands is black. 



Description — Rostral. — Touches 6 shields ; the rostro-internasal and 

 rostro-nasal sutures are subequal, and fully twice the length of the 

 rostro-labials. Internasals. — Two ; the suture between them is aboat 

 half that between the prsefrontal fellows. Prcefrontab. — Two ; the 

 suture between them is rather greater than the internaso-praefrontals ; 

 in contact with internasals, post-nasals, prseoculars, supraoculars, and 

 frontal. Frontal. — Touches 6 shields, the fronto-parietals rather the 

 longest. Supraoculars. — Length about g to §, the frontal, breadth less 

 than l the frontal along a line connecting the centres of the eyes. 

 xVasiiZs. — Divided ; in contact with 1st and 2nd supralabials. 

 Prceoeular. — One, barely reaching crown, Fostocnlars, — Two. 

 Temporals. — One ; in contact with the ."itl; and (Kb Mipraliibials. 

 * Journal, As. Soc, Bougal, Vol. LX, p. 2-10. 



