628 



A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN 



SNAKES. 



Illustrated by Colol'Keu Plates and Diagrams 



BY 



F. Wall, C.M.G., O.M.Z.S., F.L.S., Lieut.-Colonel, I.M.S. 



Part XXF (ivitJi, Plate X-XV and Diagram). 

 (Continued from iMfje 382 of Volume XXV.) 



CALLOPHIS MAGCLELLANBI (Reinhardt). 

 Macclelland's Coral Snake. 



Of proteroglyphous cohibriues, or colubriiies that cany canal- 

 iculate poison fangs in the front of their maxillge there are two 

 sub-families, the Hi/dro2)hiinaj or sea snakes, and the THainnce 

 including the cobras, kraits, coral snakes, &c. The Elajnnci: 

 inckides 29 genera, only 5 of which are represented in India. Calloxiliu 

 one of the 5, contains 5 species according to Mr. Boulenger's 

 classification, and 4 of these including the subject of this paper 

 occur within Indian limits. 



Kistorij. — Macclelland's Coral Snake was introduced to scientific 

 notice by Reinhardt in 1844. 



Nomenclature, (a) Scientific. — The generic name initiated b}'- 

 Gray is from the Greek " kalos " beautiful, and "ophis" snake. 

 The specific title conferred by Reinhardt is in honour of Mr. J. 

 j\Iacclelland, a member of the Indian Forest Department, during 

 the middle of the last century. 



(/>) English. — Macclelland's Coral Snake. Named in honour of 

 the late Mr. J. Macclelland of the Burma Forest Departraent. 



(c) Vernacular. — In the Chin Hills Captain Yenning says it is 

 one of the snakes called by the natives " sar-vut-saw." 



General characters. — It is a little snake chiefly remarkable for 

 its beautiful and very distinctive colouration. The head is flattened 

 and broad, the snout broadly rounded as seen from above, and the 

 neck hardly evident. The nostril is chiefly contained in the ante- 

 rior nasal shield occupying about two-fourths of its depth. The 

 suture below it passes to the 2nd labial shield, a distinctly rare 

 condition. The eye is rather small, its diameter being rather less 

 than half the length of the snout. The pupil is often not discern- 

 able, but in some specimens there is an arc or a ring of ruddy gold 

 that enables one to see that it is round, '^fho body is cjdindrical, 

 moderately robust and of even caliljre throughout. The tail is 



