MORPHOLOGY OF VENOMOUS SNAKES 15 
Hemibungarus nigrescens. 
Scales in 13 rows. Inhabits western India, Bombay to Travancore. 
Hemibungarus japonicus Giinther. ‘ Hai.” 
Callophis japonicus Giinther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1868, 428. 
Hemibungarus japonicus Boulenger, Cat. Snakes, Brit. Mus., III, 1896, 396. 
Scales in 13 rows. Red above, with one to five black bands crossed by other 
black bands with yellow margin; muzzle and chin black; ventral surface yellowish 
with black specks and black transverse bands. Oshima in Riu Kiu Islands. 
Hemibungarus beettgeri. ‘‘ Hai.” 
Callophis bettgeri Fritz, Zool. Jahrb., Sept., 1895, VII, 861. See also Kat. Schl. Mus. Senckenberg, 
H Suateaterns japonicus Boulenger, Cat. Snakes, Brit. Mus., 1896, III, 395. Stejneger, Herpetology 
of Japan, 1907, 389. 
Almost identical with the preceding species except in coloration. Color above 
iridescent blackish blue with four longitudinal light bands, being reddish in the 
two median and white in the two outer ones. Across these longitudinal lines are 
about 14 transverse, irregular bands of bluish-black edged with white. These 
black crossbands are carried across the belly on a single ventral; under side whitish 
with numerous large and irregular blackish-blue blotches. Okinawa Island in 
Riu Kiu Islands. 
Genus CALLOPHIS Giinther. (Plate 6, D.) 
Callophis Gray, Ind. Zool., II (C. fig.). 
In many respects this genus resembles Sepedon. The maxillary bone is longer 
than the palatine, and carries a pair of very strong poison fangs, without any other 
teeth. Eyes small, with a round pupil. Body cylindrical and slender. Neck 
not dilatable. The scales are smooth instead of being keeled as in Sepedon, imbri- 
cated in 13 rows. The head is small and not distinct from the neck. Length 
not more than 2 feet. All the members of Callophis are elegantly and variedly 
colored, hence are called by this generic name, which means “beautiful snake.” 
They live exclusively on other snakes belonging to Calamaride, and do not inhabit 
any region where. no calamarine snakes are to be found; for example, Ceylon. 
They are essentially terrestrial and hide around old logs or trunks of trees; they 
are slow and lazy, being more of a nocturnal nature. While their venom is by no 
means weak, no fatal accident from the bite of the snakes of this genus has been 
recorded. 
Callophis gracilis. 
Red or pale brown, with three longitudinal black lines indented with black and 
brown specks, the lateral marks alternating with the vertebral ones; black and 
yellow bands along under side of abdomen and tail. Total length about 2 feet. 
Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. 
Callophis trimaculatus. 
Head and muzzle black with a yellow speck on each side of occiput; belly uni- 
formly red. Total length about a foot. Burma and India. 
Callophis maculiceps. 
Head and muzzle black with two yellow bands on each side; belly red. Total 
length about 1.5 feet. Inhabits Burma, Cochin China, Malay Peninsula. 
Callophis macclellandii. 
Elaps macclellandii Reinhardt, Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist., IV, 532. Giinther and Boulenger grouped 
it in Callophis. 
Head and neck black with a yellow crossband in rear of eyes; back reddish- 
brown with regular and equidistant black rings; belly yellow with bands and 
quadrangular marks of black. Total length about 1.5 to 2 feet. Inhabits Nepal, 
Assam, Burma, southern China. 
