NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



179 



Family Colubridae.* 



Division I. AGLYPHA. 



Both jaws with solid teeth. 



Subfamihes: Acrochordinac . . .The non-venomous River 



Snakes. 



Cohtbrinae The typical harmless 



snakes. 

 Rhachiodontinac .A single genus and species. 

 Division- II. OPISTHOGLYPHA. 



A pair, or several pairs, of grooved fangs in the rear of the 



upper jaw.j 

 Subfamilies: Homalopsinac . . . .The poisonous River 



Snakes. 

 Dipsadomorphinae A large Subfamily repre- 

 sented in both the New 

 and the Old Worlds and 

 comprising 69 genera. 

 Elachistodontinae . A single genus and species. 



Division III. PROTEROGLYPHA. 



A pair of short, hollow fangs, in the front of the upper jaw. 

 Subfamilies: H ydrophiinae .Th^ Sea Snakes. 



Elapinae The Cobras and their allies; 



the Coral Snakes. This Sub- 

 family comprises 29 genera. 



Ten species of Cobras are recognized, and they are widely distributed, 

 as shown in the following list : 



Egyptian Cobra; Asj); Xaja haje. '| 



Yellow " " fiava. \ 



Black-Lipped 

 Black-Necked 



Yellow-Headed 



Gold's 



Guenther's 



King 

 Spectacled 



Philippine 



Hamadrvas; 



melanolenca. 

 n igricollis. 

 anchietae. 

 goldii. 

 giientheri. 



bungarus. 

 tripudians . 



Africa. 



India. southern 

 China and the 

 Malay Archipel- 

 ago. 



samarcnsis. ■ Philippine I.'^lands 



Numerous closely allied serpents inhabit Africa. India, the 

 Malay Archipelago and Australia, some of which exhibit a ten- 

 dency to expand the neck and raise the body from the ground 

 when angry, but with none, with the exception of the African 

 genus Sepedon, is the character so markedly developed as among 

 the species of Naja. It must be understood, however, that not 

 all the species of Naja dilate the neck so widely as does the 

 N. tripudians. In some the character is but slightly developed. 



*Boulenger's cla.'i.sification is followed. 



tThe Opisthoglyph snakts might \k disignatid as mildly venomous si-rpent.s. 

 Their bites are .seldom attended by symf)toms dangerous to man. 



