THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 629 



short, usually being only about one-ninth to one-eleventh the total 

 length of the snake. 



Identification. — The broad enamel-white band across the head is 

 very distinctive, and quite peculiar to this snake. The most important 

 shield characters to pay attention to are as follows: — (1) The 

 costals which are in 13 rows in the entire body. (2) The suture 

 below the nostril which passes to the 2nd labial, (3) There are 

 7 supralabials. (4) The temporal shield touches the 5th and 6th 

 supralabials. These points taken together will distinguish it from 

 all other snakes within Indian limits. 



Colouration. — (^L) Variety typica is reddorsally, the colour vary- 

 ing in richness from a bright strawberry-red to cherry-red, and 

 more rarely purplish-red. In the flanks these hues are lightest and 

 brightest. From 16 to 35 black rings encircle the body, and 2 to 

 5 the tail. These rings are frequently interrupted in the flanks. 

 The black may or may not be narrowly outlined with yellow or 

 buff. Each ring involves about two scales in the body length. 

 In a specimen sent me by Captain Venning from the Chin Hills, 

 and in another obtained by Evans and me from the Pegu Yomas a 

 series of small dorso-lateral spots were present in each interspace, 

 and I have rarely seen a similar single series down the spine. The 

 head is shining black with a sharply defined broad ivory-white or 

 more rarely cream-coloured cross-band behind the eyes. The belly 

 is saffron, and the intervals between the rings exhibit large 

 irregularly-shaped black blotches. 



(jB) Variety tmivirgatus. — Differs from tijpica in that a black 

 stripe runs down the spine, and the rings are frequentty incom- 

 plete near the spine, especially in mid-body. The rings vary from 

 23 to 32 on the body and 3 to 4 on the tail. 



(0) Variety gori. — Differs from the two preceding in the 

 absence of the black rings and the spinal stripe. There is a series 

 of 27 to 38 small black spots down the spine, usually round, some- 

 times rather broader than long. 



The belly has irregularly-shaped median black spots smaller 

 than in the other two forms. 



(D) Variety nigriventer. — Differs from the above in having a 

 black stripe down the spine as in univirgatus, but no rings. A con- 

 tinuous irregular black stripe passes along the middle of the belly. 



Habits. — Speaking of the genus, Fayrer says : " Its representatives 

 are sluggish, and allow themselves to be approached with little sign 

 of fear. They are not aggressive, and bite reluctantly." These 

 remarks certainly apply well to the subject under discussion. 

 Venning remarks: " I could never provoke any of them to bite or 

 show temper." The very few living specimens that have come into 

 my hands were most inoffensive, and exhibited no temper in spite of 

 much provocation. The li type " of gori resented being handled, 



