THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 247 



lower surface of neck white, with a black cross-bar, 

 rest of lower part dark brown or blackish. 



D. — Var. Sputateix (N. symtatrix, Boie ; var. nigra, Gray ; N. 

 <dra, Cantor). — Black or dark brown above and beneath, with some 

 3 T ellow or orange on the sides of the head, and neck ; vovmg with 

 a pale U or O-shaped marking on the hood, and the chin and 

 throat whitish. 25 scales across the neck, 19-21 across the 

 middle of the body. 



E. — Var. Leucodira. — Brown or blackish ; no marking on the 

 hood ; lower surface of neck j^ellowish white, followed by a black 

 cross-band, and usually with an azygos black spot anteriorly and 

 one or two on each side. 21-25 scales across the neck, 17 to 19 

 across the middle of the body. 



F. — Var. Miolepis. — Dark brown or black ; sides of head and 

 throat yellowish, whitish in the } T oung ; no marking on the hood ; 

 jroung with whitish rings completely encircling the body and 

 tail, and with the white of the sides of the neck extending back- 

 wards towards its fellow to form an angular band behind the 

 hood. 21-23 scales across the neck, 17 to 19 across the middle of 

 the body.''' 



To these varieties I can add the following which I cannot 

 place in the above scheme. 



In Shillong (Khasi Hills, Assain) I was told by three people 

 independently of a bright green cobra that was in the possession 

 of a juggler shortly before my visit. Unfortunately the man 

 had evidently left the station as I could not trace him. Curiously 

 enough talking to Mr. W.Tottenham, Commissioner of Forests 

 in Dibrugarh, a few days before this he mentioned a bright green 

 cobra that he had encountered in North Siam, at a place called 

 Nan on the Mekong River, but which for want of spirit he could 

 not preserve. On jx\j publishing this information in this Jour- 

 nal * I heard from Mr. H. Hampton from the Ruby Mines, Burma, 

 that the natives there report the existence of a green cobra, but 

 though he has tried for years he has failed to procure a specimen. 

 The Burmans call this snake " indaing-mwe-howk." Further two 

 Europeans told him they had seen this snake, but described it as 

 a bright blue. Shan visitors to the menagerie confirm these 

 statements, and report the snake as rare. Variety viridis would 

 be a suitable name for it. 



1 have examined a curious variety of the cobra from the Anda- 

 mans submitted to me by Dr. Annandale from the Indian 

 Museum. It differs in colouration from anything I had previously 

 seen, and does not conform to anything I have read of. It is 

 fawn coloured and has well defined, broad, black, chevrons running 



* Vol. XVIII, p. 331. 



