164 THE REPTILES OF NORTH CHINA, &c. 



according to the nature of the country it inhabits. In the Ordos 

 Desert and the loess country of Shensi, Kansu and Shansi it is of a 

 light brown covered with markings of a darker colour. In the grass 

 lands of Inner Mongolia it is of a grey brown. In the forests of 

 Shansi and Manchuria it is even darker in colour, and the markings 

 are almost obliterated. An examination of the mouth of this and 

 other non-poisonous snakes, will show several rows of very small sharp 

 teeth, pointing backward, and an entire absence of> anything like 

 fangs. 



It is often stated that snakes cannot disgorge anything that they 

 have once commenced to swallow, owing to the backward slant of 

 their teeth. If this statement is true in regard to other species, it is 

 certainly not the case with these non-poisonous snakes, for there are 

 many instances of their disgorging their prey. 



The coluber reaches a length of from three: to three and a half 

 feet. It lays a large white egg, with a flexible tough shell or skin. 

 The young hatch out in about three weeks. 



In marshy districts in Chihli there is a very pretty snake marked 

 with longitudinal lines down the whole length of its body. It is the 

 snake commonly found round Tientsin. Whether it is what is known 

 as the four rayed snake, and is referable to the genus Coluber, or whe- 

 ther it represents the North American garter-snake, in which case it 

 would go into our next genus, Tropidonotus, I am not in a position 

 to say. 



The green or olive water snake (Tropidonotus tigrinus) is very 

 common in North China, and is perhaps the most beautiful of the 

 snakes of this country. It is of a bright sap-green colour above, with 

 large vermilion patches extending in pairs from the head down either 

 side of the body, growing smaller and finally vanishing as they reach 

 the tail. It frequents river banks, streams and even marshes. It is 

 perfectly harmless. 



In Manchuria, this genus is represented by a very large snake, 

 the black water-snake, (Topidonotus vibakari), which is extremely 

 abundant in the forest country. These snakes vary in colour, some 

 being perfectly black above, with light yellow markings on the belly, 

 others being black with brilliant light, yellow bands all over. The 

 young are often of an olive brown colour, with white patches on the 

 n-eck behind the head, so that they can hardly be distinguished from 

 the common British species. They attain a great size, one specimen 

 measured by me being 5 feet 1 inch, while the natives told me that 

 they reach 10 feet in length, with the thickness of a man's arm. I 



