2QQ SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



tions which obtain in this brood are striking ; they are expressed 

 by the following formula : ^'"k~f^^. 1^7 to 191, 41 to 48 ; or an aver- 

 age ventral and subcaudal count of 184 and 44, respectively. The 

 scale formula of the mother is [.:^, 191, 39. Three of the young 



have the posterior chin shields in contact. 



Remarks-. — The common Luzon cobra cannot be classed with 

 either Naja naja aica, as Griffin and Boulenger have done, or 

 N. naja sput.atrix, on the basis of either color or scale formula. 



The average scale counts given by Boulenger for A^. naja cseca 

 (exclusive of the two Javanese specimens and a specimen from 



Luzon) are: i;^, 193, 66; N. naja spittatrix ^, 176, 47. Naja 



naja philippinensis approaches A*", naja ceeca in color, but varies 

 markedly in the scale formula; it approaches A'', naja sputatrix 

 in the scale formula, but varies markedly in color and markings. 

 Several of these snakes are kept at the Bureau of Science for the 

 purpose of extracting the venom from them for use in the man- 

 ufacture of antivenom serums. 



In captivity some specimens take frogs and small snakes readily 

 for food ; others refuse all food, starving themselves to death. 

 One female laid twelve eggs in the vivarium. These were re- 

 moved and buried in moist earth. After a period of incubation 

 of seven weeks the young emerged. The young snake on break- 

 ing the egg, stuck out its head and by various movements made 

 a burrow to the surface without emerging wholly from the egg. 

 Thus with the body still in the egg and the head at the surface 

 of the ground, it would remain for hours at a time unless dis- 

 turbed, at which times it would withdraw wholly within the egg 

 which still contained much liquor. On removing an egg and its 

 living contents from under the ground and placing it on the sur- 

 face, the young cobra would partially emerge and. with body 

 erect for a length of several centimeters and hood distended, 

 would hiss and strike at any object held near it. The young 

 snakes did not leave the <i<£s^ voluntarily until after three or four 

 daj's. When this was done they immediately took refuge in a 

 small jar of water placed in the cage, their bodies wrapped to- 

 gether in the water in a mass and their snouts above the surface. 

 Here they were to be found for a period of from eight to ten days, 

 when they left the water and took refuge under small objects 

 where they began the process of shedding. They touched no food 

 during these early days of their life but did so as soon as the 

 shedding was completed. 



