JOURNAL 



OF THE 



BOMBAY" 



"patera! Ifetorg $tttkt& 



^j 



Vol. XVII. BOMBAY. No- 4. 



A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN 



SNAKES. 



Illustrated by Coloured Plates and Diagrams. 



By Major F. Wall, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. 



Part IV— With Plate IV. 



(Continued from page 273 of this Volume.) 



TROPIDONOTUS PISCATOR, THE COMMON POND 

 SNAKE OR CHEQUERED KEELBACK. 



Nomenclature, (a) Scientific. — The generic name is from the Greek 

 " tropis" a keel, and "notos" the back, in allusion to the ridges 

 formed by the keels on the costal scales which, though a very character- 

 istic feature, is by no means one peculiar to this snake and its allies. 



The specific name " pisoator " of Latin origin is not to my mind 

 appropriate, since it seems to imply the practice of some art by which 

 it is able to capture fish. Though aquatic in habit, its diet is usually 

 batrachian ; and though it does evince piscivorous tastes sometimes, it is 

 in no way better endowed with the capability to catch fish than is any 

 other water-snake. It is difficult therefore to see in what respect it 

 resembles the fisherman. It certainly prefers the exercise of its nata- 

 tory powers to imitating the patient inaction at the water's brink so 

 commonly manifested by those who favour the piscatorial art. Its older 

 and better known name <: quincunciatus " from the Latin " quincunx " 



