TTIE SNA KES OF BANGKOK. 



meals. It is a good swimmer and is never found far away from water. 

 It appears to be entirely diurnal in its habits. 



In disposition this snake is bold and aggressive, striking and 

 biting fierce]}' when molested, and with its sharp teeth being able to 

 inflict quite severe wounds, even through gloves. In captivity, how- 

 ever, it quickly grows acciistomed to being handled, and after a shoit 

 time makes no attempt to injure one. 



Length. Up to 1200 mm. [l feet), the tail fornung one third 

 or one quarter of the whcle. The largest Bangkok specimen 1 have 

 seen measured, snout to vent, 960 nun., tail 240 mm. 



Color and marJiinr/s. In coloration this species, wliich is 

 wideh" .spread over the East, shows great variation, so much so that if 

 tliey were to be judged by their markings alone, tiiey wuuld be dv- 

 (piently considered as different species. Major Wall* in an article 

 upon this 5-nake endeavours to arrange them into ten different varieties. 

 ]\Iany of these however merye so gradually into each other that it is 

 impossible to draw any definite line between them. The following 

 description applies to Bangkok', and as far as 1 am aware to the rest 

 of Siam. 



Above, olive brown or fjreen. with black spots arianged ipiin- 

 cuncially, those upon the sides being longer than the others, forming 

 a series of short transverse bars. The spots vaiy considerablv in 

 different individuals. 'I'ht'V may be so indistinct as to lie alnu)st 

 absent, or so large as to almost obscure the ground color, or they ma\' 

 be liidved together forming a network. Bright scarlet marldngs ofren 

 exist upon the sides. Beneath, whitish oi" 3-ello\\'ish, each venti'a! and 

 subcauilal scale being edged with hluck. An obliipie black stivak 

 below the eye, anothei- heliind it. A chevron-shaped maik. more or 

 less apparent upon the neck. Interstitial skin usually arranged in 

 black and yellow n ticulations, the fellow often extending on to the? 

 adjacent scales. 



IJol.iffit. India. Ihirmah and S. China to the ]\Ial;iy Peninsula 

 and AiTlii[»eUigo. 



lU. 'rrOji)(lo)totiifi i'ldi- tiii iriitiiifi. 



Siamese. :\ PIH ILFl^ ( ngu kliaw daanrr ), Quite as c^ommon as 

 * ■fourtud Boinhdi/ Xnt. /list Socipty, Vol XVII, No. 4- 



