THE SNAKES OF BANGKOK. 97 



Althouo-h the Painted Tree Snake is not vicious or prone to bite. 

 in captivity, its sliy disposition never s«ems to leave it, and it always 

 resents being handled. That it has the power of springing or 

 planing from one tree to another, a habit which has given rise to the 

 stories of flying snakes, has been well established. 



Length. 1200 mm., the tail forming from .j to i of the total 

 measurement. 



Color (in life). Above, bronze-brown. A creamy yellow stripy 

 runs down each flank to the vent, bordered below by a bla/k one of equal 

 width which passes along the costo-ventral junction, and usually by a 

 narrower one above in its posterior two-thirds. Below pearly white. 

 Head with a black band passing tln-ough the e3'e on to the neck. 

 Upper labials white. Tongue pinkish. Tiie interstitial skin of this 

 snake is very handsome, and shows up strongly when th*^ creature, under 

 excitement, dilates its body. Upon the neck and anterior part of the 

 body it is pale blue, behin^i, pale green. 



BlstrihiitioR. From India to Indo-Chinn and the Malay Archi- 

 pelago. 



19. Sisxotes cyclurns. 



■Siamese. ^ lVIT U LlflQ ( "f/"^ ^'^^"^ pi l''-'a-o.) 



II 



A fairly common and widely distributed specie?. It is nocturnal 

 in its habits, but may be found by day hiding itself away in dark nooks 

 and crannies in all sorts of situations. 



This snake is credited by the Siamese with giving utterance to 

 that peculiar, high-pitched, drav/n-out whistling note, which is heard so 

 frequently by Bangkok residents after dark. Its Siamese title of 

 " pi kaa-o ", meaning literally "a crystal flute", is given to it in 

 recognition of this call, and is very appropi'iate. I have kept no 

 records, but believe it can be heard daring any month in the year, 

 although it is most frequent during the hot, 3vy weather. I have 

 often endeavoured to discover the author of this sound, but have so far 

 been unsuccessful, although I have strong reasons for thinking it fs 

 some kind of bat. Mr. Gfairdner, on the other hand, tells me 1ih 

 feels sure it is a species of cricket. The point upon which we both 

 agree is that it is not caused b}^ this snake, or indeed any snake 

 at all, although the idea that it is so is v.'idely believed throughout 

 the countrv. 



