4l 



Shape — The neck is dilatable, but to a less extent than 

 in the cobra. Pupil round. An erect, short 

 poison-fang. 



Head shields — A pair of large shields are in contact with 

 one another behind the parietals. No other 

 snake has this feature. 

 Two temporals, the lower touching the fifth, 



sixth and seventh supra-labials. 

 Supra-labials 7. The third supra-labial touches 

 the nasal shield and the eye as in the cobra. 

 (Fig. 11.) 



Scales — 15 (on the hood about 19). 



Ventrals — 215 to 262 ; anal entire. Sub-caudals 80 — 100. 

 About the first ten sub-caudals are entire, the 

 remainder are divided. This feature is pos- 

 sessed by no other snake, except some rare 

 varieties of the krait, and the krait would be 

 distinguished at once by its enlarged vertebrals. 

 The king cobra is thus easily identified. 



Colouring — The young are jet black with white or yellow 

 cross-bars or chevrons. 

 Adults vary. They may be yellow, olive-green, 

 olive-brown, blackish-brown or black with 

 more or less distinct yellowish or whitish 

 cross-bars or chevrons. Light specimens are 

 often more or less variegated with black. 

 Throat light-yellowish, belly may be mottled or 

 barred. 



Habitat. — India. Found in jungles or their vicinity. 



Thb Coral Snakes. 

 Appropriately so called by Wall, since most of 

 them have bellies adorned with a beautiful 

 colouring resembling pink coral. 



