29 



Shape — Head : small, not very distinct from neck. 

 Body : elongate, slender. 

 Tail : fine and tapering. 



Eye : moderate in size ; pupil round, iris golden. 

 Teeth : small, usual type. 



Head shields — Normal. Nasal double, one loreal, one 

 prse-ocular, three post-ocular, one temporal. 

 Labials 7 or 8 (3, 4, sometimes 5). The sixth 

 labial is large and invades the temporal 

 region. 

 Sublinguals : two pairs as usual, but the pos- 

 terior pair is separated by two small scales 

 anteriorly and a large pair posteriorly. 

 Scales — 19, stronglj^ keeled. 



Ventrals—\21 to 161 ; anal bifid. Sub-caudals 50 — 79, 



double. 

 Colouring — Greenish brown, with two conspicuous 

 yellow parallel stripes along the back . 

 Numerous black cross-bands, interrupted by 

 these yellow lines. The colour gets so dark 

 posteriorly, that the black cross-bands can 

 hardly be distinguished. The yellow stripes 

 are lighter where they cross the black cross- 

 bands. 



Between the cross-bands anteriorly is a rather 

 inconspicuous pale blue colouring, much more 

 apparent when the snake is alive and excited, 

 at which time these parts are often red. 



The throat, supra-labials and prse- and post- 

 ocular shields are yellow. 



Belly white with a series of lateral black dots on 

 most of the ventrals, more apparent anteriorly. 

 Habitat — Common in India and Burma. 



