TEE SNAKES OF BANGKOK. 



in the matter of poisonous snakes with both India and Burma. If we 

 except the sea snakes, only thrc 3 other species, namel}^, Naia hungarus, 

 tlie Hamadi'vad or King Cobra, Ancistrodon rhodostoma and Ancistrodon 

 hlomhojfj, have yet been recorded from this country, although others 

 will no doubt be ultimately discovered.* 



To attempt to attach Siamese names to the various species 

 of snakes is a difficult task. In going through the list that I 

 have I can find only about a dozen which ma}'' be confidently 

 relied upon to be always given to the same snake, by those who 

 know anything about the subject. The rest of the names are 

 so loosely and indiscriminately applied that it is impossible to 



affix them to any particular species. The term <3 llillQ ( ngu khieo ) 



is applied to any snake of a green color, ^ f]\l ( ngn din ) to the 



11 



earth snakes, whilst <3 llOT ( I'gu pla ) includes the whole tribe of 



u 



of fresh water snakes. Sometimes the same name will be used for 

 different species in different localities, or the young, if differing in 

 color from their parents as they often do, will be looked upon as a 

 different kind and accorded a different title. After all it is not to be 

 wondered at. The Siamese have not yet taken up the study of Natu- 

 ral History, and the country people from whom the names originate, 

 have as a rule not iiiuch interest in an}^ creature that does not enter 

 into their dietary. 



For those who wish to take up the stud}" of snakes more 

 thoroughly, there are several text-books in existence, the two most 

 valuable for this country being Boulenger's recently published volume 

 upon the Reptiles atiJ Batrachia of the Malay Peninsula and his older 

 work upon the lleptiles and Batrachia of British India. These 

 two volumes include all the known species which Siam shares with 

 those countries. 



The classification adopted in the present articles is according to 

 the first of the two works just mentioned. 



* The following ))()isonous species will most probably, judging from their 

 present known distribution, be foinid in Siani. Biingarm candi(tu.<, jiaviceps, 

 and viulticinctus, Lachesis monticola and purpwreomaculatus. Dolioph/s hi- 

 virgatus and intetttinali.^, Call/ophis maculic.eps and macclellan<U. '["iic four last, 

 on account of the small size of the mittitli. c:ni be liardly ron-^i.b'i-.'d .Jaiigerous 

 to 1. ankind. 



