SNAKES. 247 
(B) Var. Caspius, Iwan (trabalis, Pall. ; erythrogasten, 
Fisch.).—Grey or pale olive above, each scale with a 
yellowish or pale brown longitudinal streak, with or 
without black spots ; belly, uniform orange or red. 
(c) Var. Astanus, Boettg.—Brown or olive above, each 
scale with a longitudinal light streak, and usually with 
large black spots relieved by yellowish shafts ; belly, red, 
spotted or dotted with black. Melanotic specimens 
entirely black, with the chin and throat yellow, 
variegated with red, are frequent. 
The Dark Green Snake is a very handsome reptile when it 
retains the full coloration of its earliest days. It will occasionally 
take a dead mouse or lizard when the body of the creature is 
gently put in motion near its head. This reptile sometimes 
reaches a length of more than 5ft. (I have owned one 4ft. 4in.), 
of which its tapering tail measures about 18in. 
The Indian Rat Snake (Zamenis mucosus, Boulenger, or 
Ptyas mucosus, Giinth.) is a very useful and powerful creature, 
and common in its own country. It is said to have the peculiar 
capability of uttering a strange diminuendo sound, something 
like that produced by a tuning fork when gently struck. 
It is sometimes encouraged, owing to its usefulness in destroy- 
ing mice and rats, to take up its abode in the walls and 
over the ceilings of houses in India and Ceylon. However, it 
occasionally balances the good it does by entering poultry-yards 
and swallowing the chickens it finds there. 
The Indian Rat Snake is wonderfully active, and generally 
ready to bite. When procured before it is fully grown, and then 
properly managed, it will frequently become exceedingly tame. 
One of the nicest and tamest snakes I ever knew was of this 
species. An old specimen, if wild, is not likely to be amenable 
at all to judicious treatment, but will probably remain _per- 
sistently savage and untrustworthy to the end. 
Zamenis mucosus may be easily recognised by its very large eye 
and the possession of three loreal shields, one above two. It has 
one large prze-ocular and two post-oculars ; eight upper labials, of 
which the fourth and fifth enter the eye, and five lower labials ; 
strongly keeled scales arranged in seventeen rows, ventrals 
