32 THE POISONOUS SNAKES OP INDIA, 



Siqjplementary characters.— Prcefrontals touch the internasal, poste- 

 rior nasal, preeocular, supraocular, and frontal. Temporals 2, the 

 lower touching the 5th, 6th and 7th supralabials. Supralabials 7. 

 Anterior sublinguals touch 4 infralabials. Posterior sublinguals touch 

 the 4th and 5th infralabials. Infralabials. — The 5th is the largest 

 of the series and touches 2 scales behind. Scales. — 2 heads lengths 

 from head 17 (rarely 15) mid-body 15, 2 heads lengths in front of 

 vent 15. A7ial entire. 



Distribution. — It is found throughout our Indian domains (with 

 the exception of Ceylon, and I believe Western Rajpootana, Sind, 

 and the Punjab ?) in suitable localities, that is, in jungles or their 

 vicinity. It occurs in hilly regions up to an altitude of 7,000 

 feet at least and in the plains in their near vicinity. 



Poison. — (See Part II, p. 87.) 



Dimensions. — The largest record I am aware of is that reported 

 by Phipson. * The snake which was captured in the Konkan 

 measured 15 feet 5 inches. Another of exactly similar length 

 was reported in the " Pioneer " September 4th, 1896, from 

 Travancore by Lieut. V. H. Branson, 28th Madras Infantry. 



Colour. — Young are jet black with white or yellow conspicuous 

 ■cross bars or chevrons on the body and tail. The head is crossed 

 by 4 similar bars, usually complete, sometimes interrupted. 



Adults vary a good deal. They may be yellow, olive-green, olive- 

 brown, blackish-brown, or black, usually with more or less distinct 

 yellowish or whitish cross bars or chevrons on the body, which are 

 narrower than the intervals. Light specimens are often more or less 

 variegated with black in the hinder part of the body and tail. Often, 

 too, the shields on the head and scales on the neck are bordered 

 with black, but the crossbai's seen in the young are absent. The 

 belly may be nearly uniform, mottled, or barred, but the throat is 

 usually uniformly light-yellowish or cream coloured. 



*6ombay Nat. Hist. Jourl., Vol. II , p. 245- 



