MORPHOLOGY OF VENOMOUS SNAKES 13 
specimens, while others are olive above with black-edged scales, and still others 
are very dark above and beneath. The distinctive, specific character is the small 
number of scales. It has only 15 rows on the middle of the body and 1g to ar 
on the dilatable neck, where in the typical tripudians 29 to 35 rows are found. It 
reaches the length of even r5 feet, and its venom is very powerful. It is said 
to kill an elephant within 3 hours by one bite and is liable to attack man. Per- 
haps this is the most dangerous snake of India. It lives exclusively on other snakes. 
It haunts the rivers and streams, lives in forests and jungles, and is a very agile 
climber. 
Naja haje. (Plate 5, c.) 
The common hooded cobra of Africa, the “Aspis,” so called on account of its 
shield or hood. Spectacle-marks on the neck absent or indistinct. General color 
varies brown to dark brown or blackish above, with or without spots of brown or 
yellow; below yellow, dark brown, or blackish ; head blackish; the neck with 
black or brown band on the uniform dark olive or yellow ground-color. It inhabits 
the border of the Sahara, Egypt, southern Palestine, east Africa to Mozambique. 
It is very common in central Africa and along the basin of the Nile and the Soudan. 
In Egypt it is often seen near ruins, under heaps of stones or among bushes. When 
chased it stops to defend itself. It lives in captivity for 6 or 8 months, but remains 
wild and vicious. It may reach a length of 6 feet or more. 
Naja flava. 
Very similar to the foregoing species. Has a dilatable neck, which is surrounded 
by a black band in some specimens. Color very variable, uniformly yellowish, 
reddish, brownish, or blackish, with a light spectacle-mark. Averages about 5 feet 
in length. South Africa. 
Naja melanoleuca. 
Sides of head brown or whitish, labial plates bordered black posteriorly. 
Reaches nearly 8 feet in length. Tropical Africa. 
Naja nigricollis. 
Coloration variable, with a black transversal band under surface of neck. Sene- 
gambia, upper Egypt to Angola and Transvaal. 
Naja anchietz. 
Black or brown above; muzzle yellowish; abdomen yellow or light brown, with 
or without a black band across under surface of neck. Scales on the neck or body 
15 to 17 rows. Grows to 6 feet. Angola. 
Naja goldii. 
Eyes large; 15 rows of scales on neck and body. Color uniformly black or with 
transversal series of small whitish marks; abdominal surface white anteriorly, black 
posteriorly; subcaudal scales black. Grows to 5 or 6 feet. Lower Niger. 
Genus SEPEDON Merrem. 
Maxillary bone more prolonged than palatal bone, and carries one pair of enor- 
mous fangs, but no other teeth, differing thus from N aja. Neck dilatable. Head 
not distinct from neck. Eyes moderate in size with round pupil. Body cylindri- 
cal; scales keeled, in 19 rows. 
Sepedon hzmachates Merrem. “ Spy-slange” or “ spitting snake.” 
Known in South Africa as Ringhals or banded neck. This is another hooded 
snake of Africa. The general description of the genus applies to this species. 
General color bluish-black with many narrow undulatory and zigzag crossbands 
of yellow or yellowish-white color; under side of neck black or deep red with one 
or two white bands around lower portion of neck ; belly grayish. This snake is 
very well known because of its peculiar habit of spitting the venom to a distance 
