394 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Genus NAJA" Laurenti. 



1768. Naja Laurenti, Synops. Repl., p. 90 (type, Najanaja). 

 1830. Urseus Wagler, Nat. Syst. Amph., p. 173 (type, Najahaje). 



1830. Aspis Wagler, Nat. Syst. Amph., p. 173 (type, Naja najn) (not of Lau- 



renti, 1768). 



1831. Tomyris Eichwald, ZooL Spec, III (p. 171) (type, T. oriana). 



1836. Harnadryas Cantor, Asiat. Pvesearcli., XIX, p. 187 (type, Jf. hannah) (not 



of Huebner, 1806). 

 1843. Dendmspis Fitzinger, Syst. Rept., p. 28 (type, jV. Iningarus). 



1858. Pseudohaje Guenther, Cat. Colubr. Snakes Brit. Mus., p. 222 (type, P. nigra). 

 1864. Ophiophagus Guenther, Rept. Brit. India, p. .340 (type, 0. elaps). 



One species of these deadly snakes occurs within our territory, inas- 

 much as the eastern representative of the terrible Indian cobra has 

 been found in the extreme south of Formosa. 



NAJA NAJA'' ATRA > (Cantor). 



1842. JSiaja aim Cantor, Ann. Nat. Hist., IX, 1842, p. 482 (type-locality, Cliusan, 

 China). 



1859. INaja tripudians var. scopinucha Cope, Proc. Pliila. Acad., 1859, p. 343 



(type-locality. Canton River; type in Mns. Acad. Pliila.: Doctor Rnsch- 

 enberger, collector). 



1860. Naja haji Hallowell, Proc. Phila. Acad., 1860, p. 504 (Hongkong) (not 



N. haje (Linnaeus)). 



1866. Naja tripudians var. aira ^Iartens, Preuss. Exped. Ost-Asien, ZooL, I, 



p. 177 (Chusan Archipel.). 



1867. Naja lutescens var. larvata Steinuachner, Novara Exped., ZooL, I, Rept. 



p. 84 (Hongkong) (not of Cantor). 

 1876. Naja tripudians var. nnicolor Martens, Preuss. Exited. Ost-Asien, Zool., I, 



p. 382 (substitute name). 

 1885. Naja tripudians Bcettger, Offenl)ach. Ver. Naturk. 24-25 B{>r., pp. 127, 154 

 • (Canton) (not of Merrem); Ber. Senckenberg. Naturf. Ges., 1894, p. 134 



(Hainan); p. 137 (Hongkong). — Wall, Proc. Zool Soc. London, 1903, 



p. 97 (Hongkong; Hainan). 

 1896. Naia tripudians \ixr.fasciata (pait) Boxilenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., Ill, 



p. 383 (Kiukiang; Canton; Hainan; Siam). — Boettger, Kat. Schl. Mus. 



Senckenl)erg., 1898, p. 121 (Canton; Hainan) (not of Gray?). 

 1896. Naia tripudians var. spntatrir (part) Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus.. 



Ill, p. 384 (Chusan Ids.) (not of Boie). 



In treating of the association of subs])ecies constituting the species 

 Naia tripudians (= Naja naja) Boulenger'' has attempted a sub- 

 division based chiefly tipon color differences. A glance at the list of 71 

 specimens given by him, shows that the "subspecies," or ''varieties," 

 or "forms" thus distinguished are not correlated with geographical 

 distri})ution. In view of Doctor Boulenger's statement that "the 



o Said to be derived from Nag, the Indian word for snake. 



^ 1758. Coluber naja Linn/Eus, Syst. Nat., 10 ed., I, p. 221 (type-locaUly, India 

 orientalis); 12 ed., I, 1766, p. 382. 

 f Signifying black. 

 d Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., Ill, 1896, p. 381. 



