260 SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



fifths times as wide as high, the portion visible from above about 

 one-fourth distance from frontal, sharply pointed behind, the 

 sutures with nasals and labials subequal ; the suture between in- 

 ternasals much shorter than the length of the scales ; prefrontals 

 a little broader than long, as long as or a little longer than inter- 

 nasals, the suture between them equal to the length of the scales; 

 frontal one-sixth longer than wide, wider than supraocular but 

 not quite so long, its length equal to its distance from rostral; 

 parietals large, longer than wide, followed by a series of some- 

 what enlarged occipital shields bordering parietals and tem- 

 porals ; 2 nasals, posterior highest, appearing very narrow in a 

 lateral view; from an anterior view it appears larger than an- 

 terior ; 1 preocular reaching down to near middle of eye ; 3 post- 

 oculars, third well below eye; temporals 2 + 2; 7 upper labials, 

 third highest, reaching height of middle of eye, third and fourth 

 entering orbit, first 2 smallest; 8 lower labials, fourth and fifth 

 largest, 4 touching first pair of chin shields ; anterior chin shields 

 much larger than posterior, which are separated from each other ; 

 ventrals, 165; anal single; subcaudals, 46; scales smooth in 19 

 rows around neck, 17 rows around body; eye moderately large, 

 about half as long as snout. 



Color in life. — Above a dark, slightly iridescent, brownish 

 black, with an indistinct yellowish netting, more prominent on 

 posterior part of body ; only a part of skin between scales yellow- 

 ish ; top of head olive-brown, sides of head and neck lighter, with 

 a dim lighter line extending some distance along sides; lower 

 part of upper labials, lower labials, chin, and first ten ventrals 

 yellowish; eleventh to sixty-sixth ventrals black at first, but 

 growing lighter toward end ; ventrals behind these are yellowish, 

 mottled with darker blotches ; a median darker line below tail. 



Measurements of Naja naja samarcnsis Peters. 



mm. 

 Total length grjQ 



Snout to vent t^25 



Tail 145 



Length of head gg 



Width of head 21 



Variation.— The six specimens in my collection from Mindanao, 

 do not vary greatly among themselves in scalation. The amount 

 and intensity of the dark coloring on the belly varies somewhat. 

 All the specimens have the first few ventrals (usually nine) yel- 

 lowish, although the color may cover only the first seven; after 

 these the ventrals are an intense black, which color may continue 

 back a third or more the length of body, growing gradually less 



