THE COLU BRINE SNAKES 



2583 



its tip whitish. The coral snake is generally met with in forests, the neighborhood 

 of human dwellings it strictly avoids. Somewhat slow in its movements, it is 

 unable to climb trees; and its food consists of other snakes, lizards, insects, and cen- 

 tipedes. 



In Asia the place of the coral snake and its allies is taken by a 

 group of nearly-allied species which may be collectively termed re- 

 splendent adders. From the last genus these are distinguished by the 

 presence of a distinct groove along the whole of the front surface of the upper 

 fangs, and also by the scales being arranged in thirteen rows. None of the teeth 

 behind the fangs are solid, and the shields on the head (among which the loreal is 

 wanting) are of large size. A further difference from the American genus is to be 



Resplendent 

 Adders 



I/DNG-G^ANDED SNAKE AND MASKED ADDER. 

 (One-half natural size.) 



found in the presence of postfrontal bones in the skull. These adders, which are 

 mostly less than three feet in length, are represented by seven species, spread 

 over the Oriental region, Southern China, and Japan. The masked adder (Callo- 

 phis macclellandi] , which attains a length of twenty-six inches, and ranges from 

 Nipal to the south of China, is generally reddish-brown above, with regular black, 

 light-edged transverse rings placed at equal distances from one another, the under 

 parts being yellowish with black cross bands or squarish spots. The resplendent 

 adders resemble the coral snake in the slowness of their movements, and their ina- 

 bility to ascend trees, their favorite resorts being hilly districts. They closely 

 resemble the harmless snakes of the genus Calamaria, upon the different species of 

 which they chiefly feed. 



