NAJA 265 



NAJA NAJA PHILIPPINENSIS subsp. nov. 



Naia tripudians cxca, part., Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 



(1896) 383 (spec, o, highlands of Lepanto, N. Luzon). 

 Naja naja cxca Griffin, Philip. Journ. Sci. § A 4 (1909) 600; § D 

 6 (1911) 266. 



Description of species. — (From No. 7, Bureau of Science col- 

 lection; collected in Manila, by C. Canonizado.) (Adult fe- 

 male.) Rostral one and three-fifths times as long as broad, the 

 portion visible above less than one-fourth its distance from fron- 

 tal; internasals about same size as prefrontals, in contact with 

 preocular, the suture between them about half the length of the 

 scales ; prefrontals as wide as long, their shortest sides bordering 

 frontal ; latter one and one-fifth times as long as wide, its length 

 equal to its distance from rostral, a little wider, but shorter, than 

 supraocular ; parietals longer than Avide ; nostril between 2 nasals 

 and internasal ; a preocular present ; 3 postoculars ; temporals 

 2 + 2 ; 7 upper labials, third and fourth entering eye, third 

 highest, not reaching level of middle of eye; 8 lower labials 

 (counting a small scale inserted between fourth and fifth labials) ; 

 anterior chin shields largest, touching 4 lower labials ; posterior 

 chin shields separated from each other ; ventrals, 190 ; subcaudals, 

 43; anal single; scales smooth, in 21 rows about body; 25 rows 

 around neck ; eye more than half the length of snout. 



Color in life. — Above yellowish to olive-brown, becoming slight- 

 ly lighter on outer scale rows ; below immaculate yellowish white 

 to cream; no markings of any sort evident. 



Measurements of Naja naja philippinensis subsp. nov. 



mm. 



Total length , 1,000 



Snout to vent 860 



Tail 140 



Variation. — The young of this subspecies are dark brown to 

 black, reticulated with a heavy network of light olive-yellow in 

 distinct contrast ; the head has a suggestion of darker markings ; 

 the neck is lighter, with irregular series of small round or longi- 

 tudinal spots on each side ; below, the belly is of a dirty light olive. 

 The scales behind parietals are usually more or less enlarged. 



The variation of the scale counts is expressed in the following 



23-25 

 formula: neck and body rows, ' ' ; ventrals, 177 to 191; sub- 



Zl^Zo 



25 

 cauclals, 39 to 49. The average count is as follows : „, , 176, 44. 



Specimens Nos. 463 to 470 recorded in the table were hatched 

 from eggs laid in the laboratory by specimen No. 481. The varia- 



