396 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



nostril; two ])ost oculars, upper much the larger; large temporals, 

 2 + 1 ; a large scale in the posterior angle between the pacietals, and 

 a larger one on each side of the parietals in continuation of the larger 

 u])per temporal; seven su]>ralabials, third and fourth entering eye, 

 third very high, broadly in contact with posterior nasal, fifth high, 

 touching upper postocular; four lower labials in contact with 

 anterior chin-shields which are larger than ]:)osterior pair; 25 scales 

 round the neck, and 21 round the body;" 178 ventrals;^ anal 

 divided; 42 pairs of subcaudals." Color (in alcohol) uniform black- 

 ish brown, except sides and lower part of head, as well as 16 anterior 

 ventrals, which are whitish; on the upper neck a pair of white-rimmed 

 "spectacles" and 13 very narrow yellowish cross lines, the ainterior 

 of which is faintly indicated on the ventrals also. 



Dimensions. 



mm. 



Total length 352 



Snout to vent • .304 



Vent to tip of tail 48 



As to how large the cobra grows to be in Formosa there is no infor- 

 mation, but specimens from other localities are known to exceed 1^ 

 meters in length. 



Variation. — The species is subject to a considerable amount of 

 variation as might l)e expected from its wide distribution. The 

 more essential features of this have been touched upon in the pre- 

 liminary remarks following the synomymy (see p. 394). 



Distribution. — The species Naja naja has a wide distribution in 

 southeastern Asia, from Transcaspia to the Philipjiines, but the present 

 subspecies, as defined above, seems to be confined to China south of 

 Shanghai, including Hainan, Frencli Indo-China, continental Siam, 

 and Formosa. 



Its occurrence in Formosa is now demonstrated by a young speci- 

 men m British Museum collected near wSouth Cape by Mr. J. D. La 

 Touche. I owe the opportunity to examine and describe this speci- 

 men to the courtesy of Dr. G. A. Boulenger. 



«* According to Boulenger's count. 



