684 MB. STANXET S. FLOWBB ON THE [May 1 6, 



I have come across it in buildings, where it not unfrequently takes 

 up its abode in the roof, finding doubtless a good supply of food 

 there, as the lamps attract insects, the insects supply regular food 

 to numerous geckoes, and the geckoes in turn support the snakes. 

 Its cast-off skins (which are decidedly pretty, as, though no trace 

 of the green colour remains, the black markings both on the head 

 and dorsal shields are very distinct) hanging among the rafters 

 often sho\^' that a house is tenanted by tliis snake. Once we 

 came on a large specimen crawling round an old image of Buddha 

 in a temple at Ayuthia ; in the dim hglit it was a curious sight, 

 not easily forgotten. 



It is a very active and agile snake. Once I saw a small one, 

 about 2\ feet long, take a flying leap, from an upstairs window, 

 downward and outward on to a branch of a tree and then crawl 

 away among the foliage. The distance it had jumped was 

 measured and found to be nearly- 8 feet. 



I have known it eat Hemidactylus fremitus and Gecko verlicillatus ; 

 the latter may give battle to the snake for some hours before 

 being finally swallowed. Cantor says its prey consists of lizards 

 (Geckonidce) and frogs, and mentions an instance of its eating 

 Ptycliozoon homahceplialum. 



Chrysopelea ornata itself, however, sometimes falls a victim to 

 other snakes ; I have known individuals to have been swallowed 

 by a Zamenis mucosus and by a Dlpsadomorphus dendrophilus. 



Cantor's experience of this species was quite different from mine, 

 as he writes of its habits : — " It is but seldom seen in trees ; it is 

 more frequently found on the ground in the grass. It differs from 

 the other species ... in its gentleness. The young ones never 

 attempt to bite, the adult but seldom." Giinther (Eept. Brit. Ind. 

 p. 299) quotes Cantor's account, adding to the " seldom seen in 

 trees " the very true remark, " probably because it makes too rapid 

 a retreat to be seen." Giinther also mentions having " found 

 geckoes in its stomach.'" Boulenger (Fauna Brit. Ind., Reptiles, 

 p. 372) writes : " It feeds almost exclusively on geckoes, and is of 

 gentle disposition." 



Colour (in life). The general colour of " this most beautiful of 

 all snakes " {Guniher) is bright grass-green, with conspicuous 

 black transverse marks on the top of the head. 



Yar. A : Bright grass-green, extensively marked with black, so 

 that the back appears black with small green spots. Down the 

 centre of the back is a series of teti-aplous bright red spots (in a 

 specimen from Penang Hill these were yellow). Each ventral 

 and subcaudal shield is outlined in black. Head bright sulphur- 

 yellow, boldly marked with blaclv above, " Iris and tongue black " 

 {Cantor). 



Yar. D : The whole body and tail, above and below, bright grass- 

 green. Each scale on the back is bordered with black and has a 

 black median stripe on it. There is a black spot on eacli side of 

 each ventral scale (these may be absent anteriorly, then appear as 

 small dots, and get larger posteriorly) ; the subcaudals are marked 



