THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 



207 



ly two black limbs backwards which pass for some distance down 

 the back. The ends of the transverse stripe turn backwards, and 

 are continued as stripes down the back parallel to the median, and 

 thicker stripes just referred to. Two short black streaks pass from 

 the eyes, one downwards, and one obliquely backwards. 



Anteriorly the body is adorned with black longitudinal stripes, 

 usually three in number on each side, and progressively narrowing 

 from above downwards ; the lowest usually more or less in- 

 terrupted being placed near the edge of the ventrals. The median 

 are usually connected with the black collar but may commence 

 further back as in our plate. These black marks are very faintly 

 visible in the cast skin. The ground colour is yellowish, brownish, 

 ruddy brown, or leaden grey vertebrally, merging to lighter tones 

 in the flanks. The skin anteriorly is chequered as shown diagram- 

 matically in the attached figure. The shaded oblongs are black, 



oblongs A are a pale 



■ 



blue-grey, and oblong B 

 bright 3^ellow. The effect 

 is very striking when 

 the snake under excite- 

 ments inflates itself, 

 and reveals these hues. 

 Posteriorly the body loses its black stripes, and is uniformly 

 light-yellowish, brownish or leaden grey dorsally, merging to lighter 

 tones in the flanks. The belty is whitish, or pale yellowish often 

 more or less obscurely mottled with greyish especially posteriorly, 

 and beneath the tail. The young are coloured and marked exactly 

 like adults. 



Dimensions. — Adults usually vary from five to six feet. My 

 largest of 32 measured specimens was a $ 6 feet and § of an inch. 

 Stoliczka had one 6^ feet long in the Sikkim Terai, Mr. Frere wrote 

 to me of one he got in Tharrawaddy 6 feet 1 inches long, and the 

 Revd. C. Leigh wrote to me of one he captured at Kurseong 

 exactly 7 feet. 



Identification. — Attention must be paid to the following points 

 which must coexist. (1) Scales in 19 rows anteriorly (two heads- 

 lengths behind head), 19 rows in midbody, and 17 posteriorly (two 

 headslengths before vent). Median rows with keels. (2) An entire 

 anal shield. (3) Ventrals 224 to 250. (4) Subcaudals 83 to 

 106. (5) A black transverse mark on the back of the head. I 

 know of no simpler method of identification. 



Haunts. — Its favorite haunts appear to be in open fields near 

 jungle, but it will wander anywhere in search of food. It will 

 take to the water readily, and swims actively, and strongly even in 

 a swiftly flowing river in flood. In Rangoon one was brought to me 

 that had taken up its quarters in a bullock cart, in which it was 

 4 



