THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



35 



Colour, — Young are jet black with white or yellow conspicuous 

 cross bars or chevrons on the body and tail. The head is crossed by 4 

 similar bars, usually complete, sometimes interrupted. 



Adults vary a good deal. They may be yellow, olive-green, olive- 

 brown, blackish -brown, or black, usually with more or less distinct 

 yellowish or whitish cross bars or chevrons on the body, which are 

 narrower than the intervals. Light specimens are often more oi- less 

 variegated with black in the hinder part of the body and tail. Often 

 too, the shields on the head and scales on the neck are bordered with 

 black. The belly may be nearly uniform, mottled, or barred, but the 

 throat is usually uniformly light-yellowish or cream coloured. 



CALLOrniS BZBEOITI-Sibroii's Coral Snake. 



Identification. — It 

 may be told from all 

 others of this group 

 by the fact that tho 

 prefrontal shield 

 touches the 3rd sup- 

 ralabial (Frf. and S, 

 %■• 19 B.) 



Supple meniartj 

 characters. — P r m - 

 frontals touch the in- 

 ternasal, pos t e r i o r 

 nasal, 3rd supralabial, 

 eye, supraocular and 

 frontal. I'emporal 

 1 touching tho 

 5th, 6th and 7th 



supral a b i a 1 s (and 

 sometimes the 4th 

 _;^' also). Supralahials 7. 

 Anterior sublinguals 

 touch the 1st, the 

 3rd and the 4th infra- 

 labials. Posterior snh- 



FiG. 19. — Callophis bibroni (X 3). ,. , i xi <;i 



^ ^ Iwguals touch the 4tl) 



infralabial. Infralahials. — The 4th is the largest of the series, and 



