212 JO UMNAL, SOMBAI NATURAL JUST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIII. 



is black or blackish. In many if one looks closely, one can see 

 darker marks of the same shape and pattern as those characteristic 

 of ft/pica. Jn this peculiarity one is forcibly reminded of the 

 spots one can discern in the coat of a black leopard. In one or 

 t wo rare cases I have not been able to discern these spots in the 

 snake. I regard these examples as melanotic. The variety is 

 unusual. I have seen specimens from Rajput ana (Jodhpore) and 

 Baluchistan. 



Identification. — Nearly all our Indian snakes that have large 

 head shields, possess a single pair of prajfrontal shields (Vide the 

 figure of Coluber radiatus in this paper). 



The Royal Snake is one of the few exceptions to the rule, and in 

 this species a double row of small scales replaces the pair of pre- 

 frontals seen in normal head shielding. If the scale rows in midbody 

 number from 25 to 33 (27 to 31 usually) there can be no doubt as 

 to the identity. A very nearly allied species is Zamenis arenari u s . 

 apparently a very rare snake only known from Rajputana and 

 Sind. In this there is a single row of prefrontals numbering -\ 

 or 4, and the rostral shield is very much larger than in diadem* '. 

 Colonel Light remarks that diadema is frequently confused with 

 Russell's viper (Vipera russelli) in Cutch. I too have more than once 

 had specimens of variety typica sent to me as Russell's viper, the 

 spots and their arrangement being somewhat similar in the two 

 snakes, hence the importance of inspecting the lepidosis. 



Dimensions. — The vast majority of adults range between 5 and o' 

 feet, but Colonel Light has met with several at Blnvj (Cutch) over 

 6 feet, and one measured 6 feet 7 inches. Mr. Millard received 

 a specimen 6 feet 3 inches from Deesa, and the skin of one sent to 

 our Society from Palanpur with the head deficient measured 7 

 feet 4^ inches. 



Disposition. — I have very little knowledge of the Royal Snake 

 in life. The few specimens I have encountered were in a 

 great hurry to get away and my endeavours were mainly 

 directed to securing the specimen at any cost, which meant 

 that the specimen was killed forthwith. In Delhi a well- 

 known snakeman always had one or more of these snakes 

 in his possession, and they always allowed themselves to be 

 handled withoiit being disagreeable. Mr. Kinnear speaking 

 of one in confinement in our Society's rooms, and recentty received 

 through Mr. Colan from Rajputana told me that it was very quiet 

 to handle usually, but on one occasion when he opened the cage " it 

 set up a tremendous hissing, expanding and contracting its body 

 like a cobra.'" Mr. M. H. Oakes sent me a fine specimen of variety 

 atriceps from Fatehgarh, (J. P., which his wife found on a shelf 

 among the stores in her godown. It sat up and hissed at her most 

 menacingly and she killed it. 



