130 COLUBRID.i:. 



of a white viscid liquid representing the well-known cobra marks, 

 I noticed that my dog, seizing this snake in its mouth to worry it. 

 presently foamed at the mouth, as if he had been licking a toad, 

 and soon dropped the snake. I tasted the exudation, and found it 

 bitter, but it liad no effect on my salivary glands." 



Genus HELICOPS. 

 Wagler, Syst. Amph. p. 170 (1830). 



Maxillary teeth 18-25, posterior longest ; mandibular teeth 

 subequal. Head not, or but slightly distinct from neck; eye 

 moderate (or small), with round pupil ; nostril directed upwards, 

 in a semidivided nasal ; a single interuasal. Body cylindrical ; 

 scales usually striated and keeled, without apical pits, in 19 (to 25) 

 rows ; ventrals rounded. Tail moderate ; subcaudals in two rows. 



South-Eastern Asia, Africa, America. 



A single species in the Malay Peninsula. 



135. Helicops scMstosus. 



Coluber scMstosus, Daud. Hist. Kept, vii, p. 132 (1803). 

 Tro]jido7iotus sckistosus, Cantor, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, xvi, 



p. 938 (1847). 

 Atretium schistomwi, Giinth. Eept. Brit. Ind. p. 273 (1864). 

 Helicops scMstosus, Jan, Elenco, p. 76 (1863) ; Jiouleng. Faun. Brit. 



Ind., Ilept. p. 352 (1890) ; id. Cat. Sn. i, p. 274 (1893). 



E'Ostral broader than deep, forming a narrow suture with the 

 internasal ; frontal nearly twice as long as broad, much longer 

 than its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the 

 parietals ; loreal deeper than long ; 1 prse- and 2 or 3 post- 

 oculars ; temporals 2 + 2 ; 8 or 9 upper labials, third and 

 fourth or fourth and fifth entering the eye ; 4 or 5 lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the 

 posterior. Scales more or less distinctly keeled, in 19 rows. 

 Ventrals 129-160 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 55-85. Olive-browix 

 above, uniform or with two series of small black spots along the 

 back ; a more or less distinct dark lateral streak ; upper lip, 

 outer row of scales, and lower parts yellow or orange. 



Total length 750 millim. ; tail 180. 



India and Ceylon, S. China, Burma, and Malay Peninsula. 

 Obtained at Penang by Cantor, who describes this snake as very 

 fierce, preparing to attack by raising the head three or four inches 

 vertically from the ground, and having the power of flattening 

 and laterally expanding the skin of the anterior part of the body 

 like a cobra, but in a much slighter degree. Peeds on frogs and 

 iishes. In Ceylon it is found chiefly in rivers and streams. 



