THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF POISONOUS SNAKES 97 
parietals; 1 præocular and 3 postoculars ; 2 + 2 or 2 + 3 tem- 
porals ; 7 supralabials, 4 infralabials ; 21—23 scales across the neck, 
17—19 across the middle of the body; 159—175 ventrals; 45—50 
subcaudals. ; : 
Coloration black or sometimes yellowish above; pale brown or 
yellowish on the belly; neck biack. 
Total length, 1,000 millimetres; tail 160. 
Habitat: Philippine Islands. 
Naja bungarus (Ophiophagus or Hamadryas elaps). 
(King Cobra or Hamadryad.) 
A pair of large occipital shields; 1 præocular ; 3 postoculars ; 
2 + 2temporals; 7 supralabials, 4 infralabials ; 19—21 scales across 
the neck, 15 across the middle of the body ; 215—262 ventral scales, 
80—117 subcaudals. Neck dilatable. 
Coloration very variable, yellowish, brown, olive, or black, with 
or without dark transverse bands. 
Total length, 3,900 millimetres ; tail 630. 
Habitat: India, Burma, Indo-China, Siam, Southern China, 
Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. 
The species of Naja are oviparous, and usually lay some twenty 
eggs, elliptical in shape and as large as those of a pigeon, with a 
soft shell. 
These snakes do not fear the proximity of man, and feed upon 
rats, mice, and birds; they seek their prey chiefly in the evening, 
after sunset. 
They swim extremely well, and frequent the neighbourhood of 
water-courses. 
Indian legends relate that Brahma, having descended on earth 
and fallen asleep one day at high noon, a Naja placed itself in 
front of him and, dilating its broad neck, procured for him kindly 
shade. In order to repay it for the service rendered, Brahma gave 
