.386 



BLAPID^. 



entirely by small scales. Scales in the centre of the body in from 

 fifty-four to sixty-five longitudinal rows, all slightly keeled. Ventrals 

 194-209. Sub-caudals 26-36. Upper parts reddish olive, with or 

 without irregular small black spots and dots. Lower parts grey, marbled 

 with blackish. Young specimens with three or four blackish broad 

 bands on the hinder part of the body. 



Hah. — Sind, the Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Rajputana, 

 Central India, Kutch, Guzerat, Concan, Deccan and Southern India. 



Attains to a length of 48 inches. 



Cursoria elegans, Gray. 



A species found in Afghanistan, probably occurs in Sind. The 

 type specimen in the British Museum remains unique. 



Gongylophis, Wagl. 



Head flat, oblong. Snout long, obtusely rounded, without canthus 

 rostralis. Nostril directed upwards. Head covered with scales, only 

 the fore part of the snout and lip shielded. Scales keeled. Mental 

 groove none. Chin covered with small scales. 



Gongylophis conicus, Wagl. Syst. Amph. p. 192; GvntJi. Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. I860, p. 163 ; Eep. Brit. Ind. p. 333 ; Theob. Cat. Be'iJ. B. 

 Ind. p. 207. Boa conica, Schn. Hist. Amph. ii. p. 268. 



Rostral nearly twice as broad as high, with two pairs of small shields, 

 behind the outer of which are the anterior nasals. Twelve upper 

 labials, sub-equal in size, none of which enter the orbit, which is 

 entirely surrounded by scales. The margins of the lower jaw surround- 

 ed by a narrow belt of numerous labials. Scales in the centre of 

 the body in from 41-47 series, keeled. Colour brownish grey, with 

 a dorsal series of large quadrangular brown blotches, edged with dark 

 brown and whitish, often confluent and forming a zigzag band, with 

 small irregular spots.below. Lower parts white. An oblique streak on 

 the teniple behind the eye. 



Hah. — Sind and throughout India as the last. 



SXTB-OEDER II.— OPHIDII VENENOSI. 



Venomous snakes with grooved fangs in front of the maxillary. 



Family, ELAPID^. 



Tail conical, tapering. Head normally shielded. Loreal invariably 

 absent. Nostril lateral. Bye moderate or small. Pupil round. 

 Venom fang grooved in front ; the canal in its interior terminates in 

 a slit at the extremity. 



Naja, Laurenti. 



Neck dilatable into a hood. Head rather high and short, not 

 very distinct from neck. Nostrils lateral, between two shields. Eye 

 moderate. Pupil round. One prse, three, sometimes two or four 

 post-oculars. Scales smooth, much imbricate, in numerous series 

 round the hood, and in fifteen rovrs round the body. Anal entire ; 



