THE COLUBRINE SNAKES 2587 



cobra (N. bzwgarus) is a larger snake, distinguished by the presence of a pair of 

 large shields on the head behind the parietals, while the shields beneath the tail 

 usually form only a single series. When adult, its color is yellowish or brown, with 

 more or less distinctly-marked dark cross bands; but young specimens are usually 

 black, with yellow rings on the body and bars on the head, and in some instances 

 there are light spots on the upper surface, and the inferior shields are whitish with 

 black margins. In size, the giant cobra is known to measure as much as thirteen 

 feet, and probably grows larger. Fiercer than the common species, this cobra is 

 fortunately far less abundant; its range extending from India through Burma and 

 Siam to the Malayan region and the Philippines. Another species is the asp or 

 Egyptian cobra (IV. haii) which is widely spread over Africa, and presents great 

 variations in color. Somewhat exceeding in size the true cobra, the asp is distin- 

 guished by the sixth upper labial shield of the head much exceeding the others in 

 length, and uniting with the temporal, so as to form a large plate, which anteriorly 

 comes in contact with the postocular shield. In most Egyptian examples the color 

 of the upper parts is uniformly straw yellow, while the under parts are light yellow; 

 but there may be dark cross bands on the under surface of the region of the neck, 

 which sometimes unite into a patch. The straw color may, however, shade into 

 blackish brown and occasionally the hues may be brighter. 



Our account of the habits of these snakes will be mainly confined 

 to the common Indian species, and since these have been specially 

 studied by Sir J. Fayrer we shall paraphrase or quote from his writings. Although 

 frequently seen in motion during the day, cobras are most active during the night; 

 and they feed chiefly on small mammals, birds' eggs, frogs, fish, and even insects. 

 The giant cobra subsists, however, almost entirely on other snakes; and the other 

 species will occasionally rob hens' nests, swallowing the eggs whole. In captivity, 

 cobras will live weeks and even months without tasting food of any kind or touch- 

 ing water. Although essentially terrestrial, they will readily enter water, in which 

 they swim well; while they occasionally climb trees in search of food, and are often 

 found, more especially during the rainy season, in old buildings and walls, or in 

 wood stacks and heaps of rubbish. It is when collected in such situations that 

 they are most commonly trodden upon by the natives and more frequently at night 

 than at other times with the well-known fatal results. These snakes lay from 

 eighteen to twenty-five oval eggs about the size of those of a pigeon. Ascending 

 to a height of some eight thousand feet in the Himalayas, the common cobra "is 

 equally dreaded and fatal wherever met with; fortunately it is not naturally aggres- 

 sive, unless provoked, at which times its aspect is most alarming. Raising the 

 anterior third or more of its body, and expanding its hood, with a loud hissing, it 

 draws back its head prepared to strike, and, when it does so, darts its head forward, 

 and either scratches, or seizes and imbeds its fangs in the object of attack. If the 

 grasp be complete and the fangs imbedded in the flesh, dangerous and often fatal 

 effects result; but if the fangs only inflict a scratch, or if the snake be weak or ex- 

 hausted, the same great danger is not incurred. If the poison enter a large vein 

 and be quickly carried into the circulation, death is very rapid; men having been 

 known to perish from cobra bite within half an hour. The largest and strongest 



