THE SNAKES OF BANGKOK. 7 
‘in the matter of poisonous snakes with both India and Burma. If we 
except the sea snakes, only three other species, namely, Naia bungarus, 
the Hamadryad or King Cobra, Ancistrodon rhodostoma and Ancistrodon 
blomhofi, have yet been recorded from this country, although others 
will no doubt be ultimately discovered.* 
To attempt to attach Siamese names to the various species 
of snakes is a difficult task. In going through the list that I 
have I can find only about a dozen which may be confidently 
relied upon to be always given to the same snake, by those who 
know anything about the subject. The rest of the names are 
so loosely and indiscriminately applied that it is impossible to 
: bX = a ; 
affix them to any particular species. The term 4 (9%)Q (ngu khieo ) 
2 
is applied to any snake of a green color, qu (ngn din’) to the 
earth snakes, whilst 27097 (ngu pla) includes the whole tribe of 
u 
of fresh water snakes. Sometimes the same name will be used for 
different species in different localities, or the young, if differing in 
color from their parents as they often do, will be looked upon as a 
different kind and accorded a different title. After all it is not to be 
wondered at. The Siamese have not yet taken up the study of Natu- 
ral History, and the country people from whom the names originate, 
have as a rule not much interest in any creature that does not enter 
into their dietary. 
For those who wish to take up the study. of snakes more 
thoroughly, there are several text-books in existence, the two most 
valuable for this country being Boulenger’s recently published volume 
upon the Reptiles aud Batrachia of the Malay Peninsula and his older 
work upon the Reptiles and Batrachia of British India. These 
two volumes include all the known species which Stam shares with 
those countries. 
The classification adopted in the present articles is according to 
the first of the two works just mentioned. 
* The following poisonous species will most probably, judging from their 
present known distribution, be found in Siam. Bungarus candidus, flaviceps, 
and multicinctus, Lachesis monticola and purpureomaculatus, Doliophis bi- 
virgatus and intestinalis, Calliophis maculiceps and macclellandé. Vie four last, 
on account of the small size of the mouth, can be hardly considered dangerous 
to mankind. 
