THE PBINCIPAL SPECIES OF POISONOUS SNAKES 41 



nostril between two nasal shields. Body cylindrical, greatly 

 elongate. Scales smooth, in 13 rows; ventrals rounded; sub- 

 caudals in 2 row?. 



Five species are known : — 



(1) C. gracilis.— ''Red or pale brown, with three longitudinal 

 black lines passing through brown, or black spots ; the lateral spots 

 alternating with the vertebrae. Black and yellow bands under the 

 tail and on the belly. 



Total length, 740 miUimetres ; tail 36. 

 Habitat : Malay Peninsula, Sumatra. 



(2) C. trimaculatus. — Head and nape black, with a yellow spot 

 on each side of the occiput ; belly uniform red ; tail with two black 

 rings. 



Total length, 335 millimetres ; tail 21. 

 Habitat : India and Burma. 



(3) G. maculiceps. — Head and nape black, with one or two 

 yellow bands on each side. Belly red, two black rings on the tail. 

 Diameter of the eyes equal to two-thirds of the space separating 

 them from the mouth. 



Total length, 485 millimetres ; tail 30. 



Habitat : Burma, Indo-China, Malay Peninsula. 



(4) G. macclellandii. — Head and neck black, with a yellow 

 transverse band behind the eyes. The space separating the eyes 

 equal to that separating them from the mouth. Colour reddish- 

 brown on the back, with regular and equi-distant black streaks ; 

 belly yellow, with black bands or quadrangular spots. The head 

 exhibits two black transverse bauds separated by a yellow band. 



Total length, 620 millimetres ; tail 55. 



Habitat : Nepal, Sikkim, Assam, Burma, Southern China. 



(5) G. bibronii. — Met with by Beddome in the forests of Malabar, 

 at an altitude of 8,280 feet. Back purplish-brown, with a pearly 

 lustre, and about forty irregular black transverse bands, extending 

 to the tip of the tail. Head black in front, cherry-red on the 

 occiput. 



