18 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



Distribution. — Its distribution is probably the same as conicus, but 

 records of the snake are very meagre. 1 have lately seen 

 specimens from Baluchistan, but this is the furthest record I am 

 aware of in the North-West. I am doubtful if it occurs in the 

 Ganges Valley, and there appear to be no records from Central 

 India, the Central Provinces or Upper Bengal, but with these ex- 

 ceptions it is known to occur throughout Peninsula India. It has 

 not been recorded from Ceylon. It is an inhabitant of the Plains 

 but wanders into the lower slopes of hilly regions. In the Western 

 Hills it has been met with at Khandalla and Pelgaum (about 2,000 

 feet), but I do not think it occurs in the Himalayas anywhere. 

 The specimen in the British Museum collected by Von Schlagen- 

 tweit said to have come from Sikkim (9,800 feet) is discredited 

 by Mr. Boulenger, and his doubts must be certainly shared by all 

 Indian herpetologists. 



It is possible the specimen may have been in the possession of 

 a juggler, and I know from personal experience how untruthful 

 these people are when questioned. In Fyzabad I interrogated a 

 juggler about a tj^pical monocellate cobra he had, and which he 

 assured me he had got in the Cantonment Gardens a day or two 

 before, but he finally confessed that the statement was untrue, 

 and he had captured it in Bengal near Calcutta somewhere. The 

 precise localities from which it has been recorded are shown in the 

 accompanying map. 



Lepidosis. — Rostral — A very large shield, with an angular trans- 

 verse ridge. Touches six shields, the anterior and posterior 

 nasals and the 1st labial. Internasals — Absent. Nasals — Two, an 

 anterior, and a posterior, with the nostril between ; the anterior 

 meeting behind the rostral in contact with 1st and 2nd labials. 

 Eye surrounded by small scales, one or two rows intervening 

 between it, and the labials. Sujyralahials — 10 to 13, the anterior 

 largest, and higher than long. lafralahials — 8 or 6, behind which 

 a series of marginal scales borders the lip; the 1st do not meet 

 behind the mental. A mental groove bordered by small scales. 

 Costals — 54 to 65 in midbody as long or rather longer than 

 broad, except the last 3 ro-'TS which progressively increase in 

 breadth, and are much broader than long, the last being about 



