REPTILES COLLECTED IN CHITRAL. 



141 



Naia tripudians (Merrem). 



The cobra is a very common snake in Chitral up to about 6,000 feet 

 elevation, and is chiefly represented by the variety oxiana of Eichwald. I 

 have already referred to, and figured this variety in this Journal (Vol. XIX, 

 vi. 1001). It is peculiar in having no suspicion of a hood mark, and in being 

 banded dorsaUy. The anterior two, three or four bands are black or 

 blackish, and any succeeding ones brownish. In young specimens the 

 bands are quite conspicuous to the vent. I have seen a specimen in our 

 Society's collection from Aden and another from Parachinar on our 

 N. AV. Frontier. It was also the only variety of cobra I met with in 

 Malakand some years ago. 



I collected 16 specimens o <3 6 , and 11$ 2 ; some of these were killed 

 inside the Fort atDrosh. One came into an officer's bed-room at night, and 

 and on another occasion in camp one came after nightfall into an oflicer's 

 tent. The furious barking of a chained terrier attracted our attention at 

 dinner-time, and we found the cobra sitting up facing the dog. It was so 

 taken up with the dog, that it ignored our presence even with a lighted 

 lantern, and was despatched without any trouble. Another passed through 

 my pony's legs one day in broad day-light, and only when I halted, did 

 it erect itself. It struck me that its hood is not so expansive as in the 

 binocellate variety usually seen in India. 



The details of my specimens are as follows : — 



Remarks. 



13-10-09 

 17-10-09 

 18-10-09 

 20-10-09 

 24-10-09 

 2-11-09 

 7-11-09 

 11-11-09 

 •21- 5-10 



l'-8" 

 3'-5" 

 2'-10f" 

 l'-4i" 

 3'-2i" 

 l'_7-a" 



i'-4r 



3'-l" 

 l'-7i" 



