MORPHOLOGY OP VENOMOUS SNAKES 13 



specimens, while others are olive above with black-edged scales, and still others 

 are very dark above and beneath. The distinctive, specific character is the small 

 number of scales. It has only 15 rows on the middle of the body and 19 to 21 

 on the dilatable neck, where in the typical tripudians 29 to 35 rows are found. It 

 reaches the length of even 15 feet, and its venom is very powerful. It is said 

 to kill an elephant within 3 hours by one bite and is liable to attack man. Per- 

 haps this is the most dangerous snake of India. It lives exclusively on other snakes. 

 It haunts the rivers and streams, lives in forests and jungles, and is a very agile 

 climber. 



Haja haje. (Plate 5, c.) 



The common hooded cobra of Africa, the "Aspis," so called on account of its 

 shield or hood. Spectacle-marks on the neck absent or indistinct. General color 

 varies brown to dark brown or blackish above, with or without spots of brown or 

 yellow; below yellow, dark brown, or blackish; head blackish; the neck with 

 black or brown band on the uniform dark olive or yellow ground-color. It inhabits 

 the border of the Sahara, Egypt, southern Palestine, east Africa to Mozambique. 

 It is very common in central Africa and along the basin of the Nile and the Soudan. 

 In Egypt it is often seen near ruins, under heaps of stones or among bushes. When 

 chased it stops to defend itself. It lives in captivity for 6 or 8 months, but remains 

 wild and vicious. It may reach a length of 6 feet or more. 



Naja flava. 



Very similar to the foregoing species. Has a dilatable neck, which is surrounded 

 by a black band in some specimens. Color very variable, uniformly yellowish, 

 reddish, brownish, or blackish, with a light spectacle-mark. Averages about 5 feet 

 in length. South Africa. 

 Raja melanoleuca. 



Sides of head brown or whitish, labial plates bordered black posteriorly. 

 Reaches nearly 8 feet in length. Tropical Africa. 



Naja nigricollis. 



Coloration variable, with a black transversal band under surface of neck. Sene- 

 gambia, upper Egypt to Angola and Transvaal. 



Naja anchietae. 



Black or brown above; muzzle yellowish; abdomen yellow or light brown, with 

 or without a black band across under surface of neck. Scales on the neck or body 

 15 to 17 rows. Grows to 6 feet. Angola. 



Naja goldii. 



Eyes large; 15 rows of scales on neck and body. Color uniformly black or with 

 transversal series of small whitish marks; abdominal surface white anteriorly, black 

 posteriorly; subcaudal scales black. Grows to 5 or 6 feet. Lower Niger. 



Genus SEPEDON Merrem. 



Maxillary bone more prolonged than palatal bone, and carries one pair of enor- 

 mous fangs, but no other teeth, differing thus from Naja. Neck dilatable. Head 

 not distinct from neck. Eyes moderate in size with round pupil. Body cylindri- 

 cal; scales keeled, in 19 rows. 



Sepedon haemachates Merrem. " Spy-slange " or " spitting snake." 



Known in South Africa as Ringhals or banded neck. This is another hooded 

 snake of Africa. The general description of the genus applies to this species. 

 General color bluish-black with many narrow undulatory and zigzag crossbands 

 of yellow or yellowish- white color; under side of neck black or deep red with one 

 or two white bands around lower portion of neck ; belly grayish. This snake is 

 very well known because of its peculiar habit of spitting the venom to a distance 



