THE SNAKES CF BANGKOK. 
a2 
By MALCOLM SMITH. 
The following articles are the outcome of a paper which was 
read before the Society in June last. At that time only the common 
species were deat with, but the matter has since been enlarged to in- 
elude ail the sp cies at present known to have been found in Bangkok 
and its immediate neighbourhood. 
A full technical description of each snake will not be attempted 
here, but sufficient will be given, it is hoped, to enable anyone fo 
identify all the species likely to be met with. The descriptions as 
regards coloration apply only to those found in Bangkok, and do not 
necessarily hold good for the same species in other parts of Siam, al- 
though all those that I have so far been able te examine from various 
districts show, practically, no variation. It should be remembered 
however, that some snakes differ considerably in markings, especially, 
when they come from other countries, and to distinguish them by this 
means alone, cannot always be relied upon. The character and dis- 
position of the scales upon the head and bedy must be taken into 
consideration, for they remain almost constant, and form the only 
trustworthy guide to identification. 
The accompanying plate shows the conformation and relation- 
ship of the various scales which are used for this purpose, and at the 
conclusion of these articles will be found a very simple key, by which 
anyone can readily distinguish all the species which have been 
described. 
In 1900 Captain Stanley Flower after spending some two years in 
this country, published an article* in the Preceedinys of the Zooloyial 
* « Notes on a Second Collection of Reptiles made in the Malay Penin- 
sula and Siam.” Only those portions dealing with Siam have been referred 
to in the present articles. 
