4l 



Shape — The neck is dilatable, but to a less extent than 

 in the cobra. Pupil round. An erect, short 

 poison-fang. 



Head shields — A pair of large shields are in contact with 

 one another behind the parietals. No other 

 snake has this feature. 

 Two temporals, the lower touching the fifth, 



sixth and seventh supra-labials. 

 Supra-labials 7. The third supra-labial touches 

 the nasal shield and the eye as in the cobra. 

 (Fig. 11.) 



Scales — 15 (on the hood about 19). 



Ventrals—2\5 to 262 ; anal entire. Sub-caudals 80 — 100. 

 About the first ten sub-caadals are entire, the 

 remainder are divided. This feature is pos- 

 sessed by no other snake, except some rare 

 varieties of the krait, and the krait would be 

 distinguished at once by its enlarged vertebrals. 

 The king cobra is thus easil}^ identified. 



Colouring — The young are jet black with white or yellow 

 cross-bars or chevrons. 

 Adults vary. They may be yellow, olive-green, 

 olive-brown, blackish-brown or black with 

 more or less distinct yellowish or whitish 

 cross-bars or chevrons. Light specimens are 

 often more or less variegated with black. 

 Throat light-yellowish, belly may be mottled or 

 barred. 



Habitat. — India. Found in jungles or their vicinity. 



The Coral Snakes. 



Appropriately so called by Wall, since most of 

 them have bellies adorned with a beautiful 

 colouring resembling pink coral. 



