98 JOUBNAL, NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY OF SIAM. Vol. I. 



Simotes cydunis is a sluggish snake, and if encountered, as it 

 ma}^ be, in the early moriiing or r^t dusk, will often make no attempt to 

 move out of the way. In disposition, however, it is fierce and vicious,. 

 and captivity does not in^prove its temper. 



LetvjtJt. 700 mm. ( Boulenger, Fmma Malay Peninsula, and 

 Cat. Snal-es, Brit. Museum). I have seen many specimens longer 

 than this, the biggest one measuring 8G5 mm. The largest 1 know of 

 from Bangkok measured 790 mm. 



Color. Ver}^ variable, but the changes in Bangkok specimens 

 are largel}'^ due. to age, the markings in old ones being very indistinct 

 and often broken i:i'p. The Caialogne' gives six varieties of this snake, 

 none of which quite accord with the one that is found here. 



Above, light brown, with a series of narrow, ill-defined, black 

 cross-bavs, every fourth one of which has a large dark brown, black 

 edged dorsal spot or blotch,, of which there are from 11-16 on the body 

 and 3-4 on the tail. The coloring of the cross-bars is confined chiefly 

 to the edges of the scales, and the dorsal spots are variable in shape, 

 but are usually mesially indented. Below, pearly white, uniform. 

 Head with nmrkings as in the illustration. Sometimes a handsome 

 pink c&lor tinges the flanks and belly. 



This description applies to Bangkok specimens only, and 

 although variations from it will be n^et with in other parts of the 

 countr}', it will be found sufficient ta identify the snake all over Siam. 



Distnbidio'ii. i'rom E, India and S. Cliina to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



20. Simotes taeniatus. 



Siamese, ^ ^f]f\ ( nqn ncjorl ). 



Quite as common as the preceding and found in similar 

 situations. It is less aggressive in disposition. By the Siamese it is 

 accounted particularly venomous,, but apart from its lack of poison 

 apparatus, its small size renders it incapable of inflicting anything 

 more than a scratch. It feeds chiefly upon small frogs. 



Color ( in life ). Above, light brown with 4 dark brown 

 longitudinal lines running down the body. The two median, border 

 the vertebral row of scales and are continued to the tip of the tail^ 

 the two lateral, end at the vent. These lines are more or less 

 strongly punctuated with bliick dots ; in the youug more so than in the 



