THE ,syAKE\s nb' JUXdKOK. 181 



dry months of the year, letire to the canals, for eobras drink freely 

 and do not like to be long- without water. Here tliey lind excellent 

 !>iielter, and can lie entii-ely concealed among the dense packs of this 

 weed, and the people in dragging it out to destroy it, accidentally 

 seize the snakes and so get bitten. 



The treatment of cobra bite is not within the scope of this 

 article, but 1 may mention brieHy, that the permanganate of potash 

 cure, so strongly boomed a lew yeavs ago, has shown itself to be 

 of much less value than was originally claimed for it. The only 

 antidote at present known of any real benefit, is antivenene. a large 

 stock of which is now always on hand at the Pasteur Institute, 

 Ligature above, and deep incisions at the seat of, the bite, should of 

 course always be performed at once. 



Length. 1830 mm. 



Cotor (in life). Above. — From darkish olive-brown to black. 

 Hood usually adorned with a clear, pale yellow or whitish circle or 

 oval. It may be incomplete and indistinct, but is seldom entirely 

 absent. Across the back, just behind the hood, usually a pale chevron 

 or oval mai'k or only a plain bar. and sometimes one or two or more 

 similar marks farther down the body. Below. — Throat and com- 

 mencement of body 3'ellow, rest of belly and tail grey or pale brown. 

 Hood usually with a black spot on either side, and a dark trans- 

 verse bar behind. The transverse markings across the back, may be 

 continued as yellowish bars across the bell3\ The 3'oung when first 

 born are black, usually with a high polish like a w^ell polished boot. 

 As they grow up they become lighter. The markings upon the hood 

 are even more variable than 1 have mentioned, and it would be un- 

 necessary to describe them all. This description applies to Bangkok 

 and the neighbouring country only. 



Bistributioii . Southern Asia, from Transcaspia to China and 

 the Malay Archipelago. 



Family. AMBLYCEFIJALIDA^:. 



38. Amblycephalus moellendorfii. 



Count Gyldenstolpe records a specimen of this little snake from 

 Bangkok, and another was recently found in a garden in the Suri- 

 wongse Road. 



Distrihidion. S. China, Indo-China, Siam, Tenasserim. 



