628 



A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN 



SNAKES. 



Illustrated by Coloured Plates and Diagrams 



by 



F. Wall, C.M.G, C.M.Z.S.. F.L.S, Lieut.-Colonel, I.M.S. 



Tart XXF (irith Plate XXF and Diagram). 

 (Continued from page 382 of Volume XXV.) 



CALLOPHIS MAGGLJSLLANDI (Reinhardt). 

 Macclelland's Coral Snake. 



( )f proteroglyphous colubrines, or colubrines that cany canal- 

 iculate poison fangs in the front of their maxillas there are two 

 sub-families, the Hydrophiince or sea snakes, and the Elajcrince 

 including the cobras, kraits, coral snakes, &c. The JElapina 

 includes 29 genera, only 5 of which are represented in India. CaUophis 

 one of the 5, contains 5 species according to Mr. Boulenger's 

 classification, and 4 of these including the subject of this paper 

 occur within Indian limits. 



History. — Macclelland's Coral Snake was introduced to scientific 

 notice by Reinhardt in 1844. 



Nomenclature. (") Scientific. — The generic name initiated by 

 ( > ray is from the Greek ' : kalos " beautiful, and " ophis " snake. 

 The specific title conferred by Reinhardt is in honour of Mr. J. 

 Macclelland, a member of the Indian Forest Department, during 

 the middle of the last century. 



(h) English. — Macclelland's Coral Snake. Named in honour of 

 the late Mr. J. Macclelland of the Burma Forest Department. 



(c) Vernacular. — In the Chin Hills Captain Venning says it is 

 one of the snakes called by the natives " sar-vut-saw." 



General characters. — It is a little snake chiefly remarkable for 

 its beautiful and very distinctive colouration. The head is flattened 

 and broad, the snout broadly rounded as seen from above, and the 

 neck hardly evident. The nostril is chiefly contained in the ante- 

 rior nasal shield occup}'ing about two-fourths of its depth. The 

 suture below it passes to the 2nd labial shield, a distinctly rare 

 condition. The eye is rather small, its diameter being rather less 

 than half the length of the snout. The pupil is often not discern- 

 able, but in some specimens thei"e is an arc or a ring of ruddy gold 

 that enables one to see that it is round. The body is cylindrical, 

 moderately robust and of even calibre throughout. The tail is 



