36 BULLETIN 151, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



NAJA NIGRICOLLIS Reinhardt 



Naja nigricolUs Reinhardt, 1843, Dansk. Vidensk. Selsk. Afh., vol. 10, p. 

 269, pi. 3, figs. 5 and 7.— Stejneger, 1893, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 16, 

 p. 734. — BouLENGER, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., vol. 3, p. 387. 



Cobra Roosevelt, 1910, African Game Trails, pp. 196 and 203. 



1 (U.S.N.M. 20090) Tana River, K. C. (Chanler) 1892. 



1 (U.S.N.M. 40899) Juja Farm, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 



4 (U.S.N.M. 40900-1, 40994, 49054) Nr. Guaso Nyiro, K. C. (Sm. 

 Afr. Exped.) 1909. 



2 (U.S.N.M. 40993, 42215) Kenya Colony. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 



1 (U.S.N.M. 42157) Rhino Camp, L. E. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1910. 



2 skins without data and unregistered. 



Mid-body scale rows, 17 to 25; ventrals, 184 to 215; anal entire; 

 subcaudals, 57 to 67; labials, 6, the third entering the orbit. These 

 scale counts are typical; one snake has two unpaired subcaudals next 

 the anus. Most of the specimens have had the hodj skinned out 

 while the head and tail are intact, which makes the measurements of 

 the largest snake (No. 40900) possibly a little exaggerated. It 

 measures 2026 (1650 + 376) mm.; the smallest is the Tana River 

 cobra, whose variations have been discussed by Stejneger. The color 

 of this snake is the most remarkable of any cobra I have ever ex- 

 amined; doubtless in life it was uniformly bright pink, with a com- 

 plete black collar (11 to 12 scales in width) around its "neck." The 

 rest of the series present most of the chief color variations of this 

 interesting reptile — black, brown, khald, olive, and bluish-gray, with 

 or without markings. 



At this camp '^ we killed five poisonous snakes — a light-colored tree snake, two 

 puff adders, and two 7-foot cobras. One of the latter three times "spat" or 

 ejected its poison at us, the poison coming out from the fangs like white films or 

 threads to a distance of several feet. A few years ago the singular power of this 

 snake, and perhaps of certain other African species thus to eject the poison at the 

 face of an assailant was denied by scientists; but it is now well known. Selous 

 had already told me of an instance which came under his own observation; and 

 Tarlton had once been struck in the eyes and for the moment nearly blinded by 

 the poison. He found that to wash the eyes with milk was of much relief. (Roose- 

 velt, pp. 195-196. ) 



Another 7-foot cobra was killed. (Roosevelt, p. 203.) 



Genus DENDRASPIS Schlegel 



DENDRASPIS JAMESONH (Traill) 



Flaps jamesonii Traill, 1843, in Schlegel, Essai Phys. Serpents, English Trans- 

 lation, p. 179, p. 2, figs. 19 and 20. 

 Dendraspis jamesonii Boulenger, 1896, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., vol. 3, p. 436. 



1 (U.S.N.M. 49014) ? Kakumega, K. C. (HeUer) 1912. 



Mid-body scale rows, 15; ventrals, 215; subcaudals, 104; labials, 8, 

 the fourth entering the orbit. Length 1,800 (1360 + 440) mm. 



u Sotlk, Guaso Nyiro, K. C. 



