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



touching the posterior sublinguals. A small cuneate scale (rarely two, 

 rarely none) between the 4th and 5th. Sublinguals. — Two pairs ; the 

 anterior rather larger, the posterior quite separated by a single 

 scale. Gostals — Very variable in number according to the variety 

 and the locality. In Ty^iica usually 23 ( less commonly 25 ) in 

 midbody in South India; 21 or 23 in the Central Provinces; 23 

 (less commonly 21) in the United Provinces; 21 in the Punjab and 

 Western Himalayas. 



In fasciatia usually 23 (rarely 21) west of Calcutta; 21 (rarely 

 19) east of Calcutta. In variety sputatrix 19 or 21. In variety 

 oxiana 21. Usually 6 (sometimes 8) rows are absorbed before 

 "the vent. The vertebral row subequal to adjacent scales, or 

 rather narrower, no keels. No apical pits. Ventrals variable in 

 number according to variety and locality. In typica from Ceylon 

 and South India 170 to 193, from other parts of India 176 to 200. 

 In fasciata from Assam and Burma 179 to 194. In oxiana 195 

 to 213. 



Anomalies. — The head shields are wonderfully constant, and 

 except for the rare absence of the little cuneate shield, and the 

 presence of two instead of three posticulars I do not think I have 

 ever seen an abnormality. Two specimens killed by Mr. Bernard 

 Cooke had, he told me, the 3rd supralabial divided into an upper 

 :and a lower part. 



Dentition. — Maxilla furnished with two operative canaliculate 

 fangs. One of these is often loose, not yet having become 

 anchylosed into the bone, or having functioned is about to be shed. 

 A single grooved tooth in the posterior end of the jaw is usually 

 present, but when shed may not be replaced for some days. Pala- 

 tine. — 6 to 8 subequal teeth grooved on their inner faces. Pterygoid. 

 : — In varieties Typica and Fasciata 11 to 15 grooved on their inner 

 faces, and diminishing in size posteriorly. In oxiana 20 to 22. 

 Mandibular, 13 to 15, grooved on their outer faces, reducing in size 

 behind. 



Our coloured plate (page 243) shows three varieties of the cobra, 

 (1) typica, the binocellate or spectacled cobra of Europeans, and the 

 " gokurrah " of natives : (2) cmca, the blind cobra with no hood 

 marks ; and (3) fasciata, the monocellate cobra of Europeans, and the 

 " keautiah^' of natives in Bengal. Mr. Cerhardt is to be congratu- 

 lated on the excellence of these pictures which are most life-like. 



Plates A and B are reproduced from Major Fayrer's most success- 

 ful photographs. The upper figure in Plate B shows the hood 

 expanded, and a very moderate degree of erection of the body. 

 Contrast with this the three specimens in figure A, all of which are 

 seen erected to their full extent. 



