THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 3f 



Variety A, forma tyjnca. — Oherry-red above with from 16 to 26 

 black bands on the body and 3 to 4 on the tail. These bands are 

 narrow, completely surround the belly and are outlined more or 

 less distinctly with buflf or yellow. The belly is sulphur yellow, 

 and a large black irregularly-shaped blotch occurs between each 

 band. It is very common in the Khasi Hills about Shillong. It 

 has been recorded from Burma by Evans and myself who obtained 

 a specimen from the Pegu Yomas. I have had a specimen from 

 Mogok, Ruby mines, and a specimen from Pegu is in the British 

 Museum. It extends into Southern China and Formosa. 



Variety B, univircjatus. — Cherry-red, or brown with 23 to 32 

 black bands, many of which are incomplete, especially in midbody 

 over the spine. A black streak runs down the spine. Otherwise 

 this variety is like the last. It is known from the Eastern 

 Himalayas. (Nepal and the vicinity of Darjeeling.) 



Variety G, gorei. — This has no black bands and no vertebral 

 stripe. It is cherry-red above with about 30 small, black, vertebral 

 spots. Some of these are rather broader than long. Belly pale 

 yellow with irregularly-shaped, median, black ventral spots, smaller 

 than those seen in the other two forms. I received two specimens 

 of this new colour variety from Mr. C. Gore whose name I attach 

 to it. Both were obtained at Jeypore (Assam) at the foot of an 

 outlier from the Naga Hills and more recently one from Manipur. 



Variety B, nigriventer. — Known from a single specimen from 

 Kasauli described by me. It differs from univirgatus in having no 

 trace of black rings and in having a broad black continuous stripe 

 along the middle of the body. The only form known from the 

 Western Himalayas. 



In all four varieties the head is black with a verj^ well defined, 

 enamel-white band across the head. 



CALLOPHIS TRIMACULATUS-The Slender Coral Snake. 



Identification. — Differs from others of this group in combining 

 the 2 following characters. The anal shield is divided (see fig. 

 9 E) and there are 6 supralabials. 



