REPTILES. 
305 
verse, black bands; abdomen and head yellowish. Two feet 
long. Inhabits the Indian and American seas. 
Genus 26.—NAIA.— Laurenti. 
Generic Character. — Plates of the head larger than those of 
the body; body plates longest near the head ; occiput furnished 
with a hood; upper jaw with poisonous fangs. 
Naia vulgaris. — The Spectacle Snake. 
Plate LXXII. fig. 1. 
Yellow ferruginous above; neck capable of being inflated, 
with a specta*le-shaped white mark above, margined with black. 
Four feet long. Inhabits India. 
Genus 27.—EL A PS. — Schneider. 
Generic Character. — Head with large plates; jaws provided 
with poison fangs, capable of but little dilation ; head behind 
of same breadth as the neck. 
Elaps lacteus. —The White Elaps. 
White ; body marked above by a double row of black spots ; 
head black, with a longitudinal white streak. Eighteen inches 
long. Inhabits India and South America. 
Genus 28.—COBRA.— Laurenti. 
Generic Character —Head from behind the eyes to the mouth, 
sub-triangular with carinated scales ; upper jaw with poisonous 
fangs. 
Cobra Lachesis .— The Lachesis Cobra. 
Yellowish-gray, variegated with umber-brown, and dusky 
spots and patches; scales unconnected, carinated; the head is 
indistinctly formed, and the tail short. 
Genus 29.—VIPERA— Cuvier. 
Generic Character —Head with granulated scales; upper jaw 
with poisonous fangs; plates under the tail sub-divided. 
Vipera Berus. — The Common Viper. 
Brown, with a black zigzag line on the dorsal ridge, and a 
2 b 3 
