REPTILES 45 



pies ; two hornbills, one of which is 4 feet in length ; 

 the common and the Nepal swallow ; about thirty 

 species of finches, among them being three bull- 

 finches and eight rose-finches ; three or four larks ; 

 numerous and varied tits ; wagtails ; five species of 

 parrots ; eight or nine species of wren ; thrushes of 

 a dozen species ; ten species of robin ; and, lastly, 

 many species of waders such as florekin, cranes, 

 plovers, snipe, sandpipers, coots, water-hen, storks, 

 heron, cormorants, terns, divers, and ducks. 



Reptiles are not commonly accounted among the 

 beauties of Nature ; but they must not be lost sight 

 of in reviewing the life of the forest. The largest 

 is the python, whose usual length is 12 feet, though 

 individuals of 16 to 20 feet are not very rare. A 

 very beautiful snake found in the cool forests is 

 green with a broad black band on each side of the 

 hinder half of the body and tail, the green scales 

 being margined with black. Another snake of the 

 same length is a handsome green whip-snake, grace- 

 ful in its movements, but ferocious and aggressive 

 in its habits, although quite harmless. The 

 ordinary cobra is not uncommon. The giant cobra 

 is also found in the lower valleys, and grows to a 

 length of 12 or 13 feet. Four species of pit vipers 

 are found. The krait occurs, but is not common. 

 Altogether there are nine species of venomous 

 snakes and thirty species of non-venomous snakes 

 found in Sikkim. 



Of lizards there are ten species. One is popu- 

 larly known as the chameleon on account of its 

 rather showy colours, but does not really belong to 



