98 JOURNAL, NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY OF SIAM. Vol. I. 
Simotes cyelurus 13 a sluggish snake, and if encountered, as it 
may be, in the early morning or at dusk, will often make no attempt to 
move out of the way. In disposition, however, it is fierce and vicious, 
and captivity does not improve its temper. 
Length. 700 mm. (Boulenger, Fawna Malay Peninsula, anc 
Oat. Snakes, Brit. Museum). I have seen many specimens longer 
than this, the biggest one measuring 865 mm. The largest 1 know of 
from Bangkok measured 790 mm. 
Color. Very variable, but the changes in Bangkok specimens 
are largely due to age, the markings in old ones being very indistinct 
and often broken up. The Cutaloque gives six varieties of this snake, 
none of which quite accord with the one that is found here. 
Above, light brown, with a series of narrow, ill-defined, black 
cross-bars, every fourth one of which has a large dark brown, black- 
edged dorsal spot or blotch, of which there are from 11-16 on the body 
and 3-4 on the tail. The coloring of the cross-bars is confined chiefly 
to the edges of the scales, and the dorsal spots are variable in shape, 
but are usually mesially indented. Below, pearly white, uniform. 
Head with markings as in the illustration. Sometimes a handsome 
pink color tinges the flanks and belly. 
This description applies to Bangkok specimens only, and 
although variations from it will be met with in other parts of the 
country, it will be found sufficient to identify the snake all over Siam. 
Distribution. Krom HE. India and S. China to the Malay 
Archipelago. 
20. Simotes teniatus. 
Siamese. 4 I6" (ngu ngort ). 
Quite as rapainen as the preceding and fownd in similar 
situations. It is less aggressive in disposition. By the Siamese it is 
accounted particularly venomous, but apart from its lack of poison 
apparatus, its small size renders it incapable of inflicting anything 
more than a scratch. It feeds chiefly upon small frogs. 
Color (in life). Above, hght brown with 4 dark brown 
longitudinal lines running down the body. The two median, border 
the vertebral row of scales and are continued to the tip of the tail, 
the two Iateral, end at the vent. These lines are more or less 
strongly punctuated with black dots ; in the young more so than in the 
ve 
