353 



FASCIATED BOA. 



Boa Fasciata. E. flam, curporc tmbtriq-uetro ctcrulco ammlato. 

 Yellow Boa, \vith subtriangular bod)' stimulated \vitli blue. 

 Bungarum Pamah. Russ. Ind. Serp. p. 3. pi. 3. 

 Abdominal scuta 233, subcaudal 36. 



IT is to Dr. Patrick Russcl that we owe the 

 knowledge of this remarkable species, which is a 

 native of India, and is said to he most frequent 

 in the country of Bengal. It is of a yellow co- 

 lour, marked with pretty numerous dusky-blue 

 transverse bands, continued, at equal distances, 

 throughout the whole length of the animal, each 

 band completely investing or surrounding the 

 body, but being rather paler beneath than above : 

 the head is rather small than large, and covered in 

 front with large scales : the body is of a trigonal 

 form, the sides sloping very considerably : along 

 the ridge of the back runs a continued series of 

 hexagonal scales, those on the rest of the body 

 being of the usual subovate form : the scuta or 

 lamelliE of the under parts are very broad, and 

 finely ciliated on their margins : the length of 

 the whole animal is something more than five 

 feet, the diameter, in the thickest part, being 

 nearly five inches : the length of the tail five 



inches onlv, and its termination rather obtuse. 



/ > 



This snake is among the number of poisonous 

 species, and its bite is considered by the Indians 

 as inevitably fatal. A specimen was brought to 

 Dr. Russel in the month of November, 1788, in 



