24 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



Identification. — This is not difficult if attention is given to scale 

 characters. The following combination of characters will distin- 

 guish it from other Indian snakes: (1) Scales 25 to 29 in niid- 

 bod}^, (2) an entire anal, (3) two or three labials touching the 

 eye. 



Dimensions. — Specimens over 4< feet are unusual, and over 

 5 feet rai-e. The largest I have seen measured 4 feet 11 inches 

 from Matheran, 5 feet 2 inches, and 5 feet 3 inches from Paralai 

 in the Anamallay Hills. 



Bisposition. — All who have remarked upon the species are in 

 agreement as to its vicious temper. Russell * speaking of a speci- 

 men he had in Vizagapatam says : " It appeared singularly alert in 

 its movements, and snapped at everything presented to it. In 

 preparing to attack, it wreathed its neck, and part of the trunk, 

 into close turns, and at the same time, retracting its head, present- 

 ed, at a distance, something of the appearance of a hooded snake. 

 When it snapped, the body being more raised by the assistance of 

 the tail, the wreaths were rapidly unwreathed, and the head darted 

 obliquely forward, with a motion so rapid, that the animal, with- 

 out rising from the ground, seemed to fly on his prey. In this 

 manner it could unexpectedly seize an object which in appearance 

 lay far beyond its reach. A chicken, intended for experiment, 

 having made its escape, was accidentally pursued into the chamber 

 where the snake had been left at liberty, and was no sooner 

 perceived than the snake flew furiously at him, snapped several 

 times as he passed, and soon seized and seciired him, by wreathing 

 round the body. In two minutes the bird was found dead, having 

 been strangled by the snake's tail. 



A second chicken was attacked in like manner, and had he not 

 been relieved in time would have siiffered the same fate. He was 

 bitten in several places." 



Colonel Light in a letter written to our Secretary remarks of one 

 he got in Poona that " It showed great fierceness, and struck 

 repeatedly at the stick when being killed." A young specimen I 

 had in Bangalore I noted was wonderfully active. When teased it 

 showed fight by erecting, and throwing the fore part of the body 

 into broad sigmoid curves, which it straightened in the act of 

 striking. It struck out repeatedly and in an upward direction 

 much like the Dhaman (Zaonenis mucosus'). I noticed that prior 

 to striking the neck was markedly compressed, the spine in this 

 region arched, and the throat distinctlj^ pouched, just in fact 

 exactl}?^ similar to what I have seen in the Dhaman under similar 

 circumstances. When erect the body scales anteriorly were 



•Kept, of Brit. India, PI. XXI A. 

 t Loc. cit. 



