THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF POISONOUS SNAKES 59 
Internasal shields three-fourths of the length of the præfrontals ; 
frontal two-thirds of the length of the parietals. 
Colour, black all over. 
Total length, 420 millimetres ; tail 30. 
Habitat : Zanzibar. 
(3) H. hessii.—Snout as in foregoing. Symphysial shield of the 
lower lip in contact with the anterior chin shields. 
Colour grey, with black cross-bars; a series of black spots on 
the sides, between the bars; large black blotch on nape; belly 
white. 
Total length, 160 millimetres ; tail 12. 
Habitat : Congo. 
(4) Æ. decostert.—Snout obtusely pointed. 
Colour, dark grey, each scale edged with black; belly white. 
Total length, 380 millimetres ; tail 38. 
Habitat : Delagoa Bay. 
(5) Æ. sundevallii.—Snout obtusely pointed. 
Colour reddish-brown, with yellow transverse bands, the scales 
in which are edged with reddish-brown ; upper lip and belly yellow. 
Total length, 510 millimetres ; tail 43. 
Habitat : Caffraria. 
(6) EH. boulengert.—Scales in 15 rows. 
Colour black on the back, with narrow white transverse bands ; 
head white, with a black streak along the parietal suture; belly 
blackish-grey. 
Total length, 170 millimetres ; tail 14. 
Habitat : Gambesi. 
(c) Naja. 
(For the characters of this genus, see Asia, p. 33.) 
Six species of Naja are found in Africa :— 
(1) N. haje or haie.—Scales in 21—23 rows on the neck, which 
is dilatable, although slightly less so than that of N. tripudians, 
the Cobra-di-Capello of India. 
