MORPHOLOGY OF VENOMOUS SNAKES 15 



Hemibungarus nigrescens. 



Scales in 13 rows. Inhabits western India, Bombay to Travancore. 



Hemibungarus japonicus Giinther. " I-Iai." 



Callophis japonicus Giinther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1868, 428. 

 Hemibungarus japonicus Boulenger, Cat. Snakes, Brit. Mus., Ill, 1896, 396. 



Scales in 13 rows. Red above, with one to five black bands crossed by other 

 black bands with yellow margin; muzzle and chin black; ventral surface yellowish 

 with black specks and black transverse bands. Oshima in Riu Kiu Islands. 



Hemibungarus boettgeri. " Hai." 



Callophis bceltgeri Fritz, Zool. Jahrb., Sept., 1895, VII, 861. See also Kat. Schl. Mus. Senckenberg, 



1898, 123. 

 Hemibungarus japonicus Boulenger, Cat. Snakes, Brit. Mus., 1896, III, 395. Stejneger, Herpetology 

 of Japan, 1907, 389. 



Almost identical with the preceding species except in coloration. Color above 

 iridescent blackish blue with four longitudinal light bands, being reddish in the 

 two median and white in the two outer ones. Across these longitudinal lines are 

 about 14 transverse, irregular bands of bluish-black edged with white. These 

 black crossbands are carried across the belly on a single ventral; under side whitish 

 with numerous large and irregular blackish-blue blotches. Okinawa Island in 

 Riu Kiu Islands. 



Genus CALLOPHIS Giinther. (Plate 6, D.) 

 Callophis Gray, Ind. Zool., II (C. fig.). 



In many respects this genus resembles Sepedon. The maxillary bone is longer 

 than the palatine, and carries a pair of very strong poison fangs, without any other 

 teeth. Eyes small, with a round pupil. Body cylindrical and slender. Neck 

 not dilatable. The scales are smooth instead of being keeled as in Sepedon, imbri- 

 cated in 13 rows. The head is small and not distinct from the neck. Length 

 not more than 2 feet. All the members of Callophis are elegantly and variedly 

 colored, hence are called by this generic name, which means "beautiful snake." 

 They live exclusively on other snakes belonging to Calamaridce, and do not inhabit 

 any region where no calamarine snakes are to be found; for example, Ceylon. 

 They are essentially terrestrial and hide around old logs or trunks of trees; they 

 are slow and lazy, being more of a nocturnal nature. While their venom is by no 

 means weak, no fatal accident from the bite of the snakes of this genus has been 

 recorded. 



Callophis gracilis. 



Red or pale brown, with three longitudinal black lines indented with black and 

 brown specks, the lateral marks alternating with the vertebral ones; black and 

 yellow bands along under side of abdomen and tail. Total length about 2 feet. 

 Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. 

 Callophis trimaculatus. 



Head and muzzle black with a yellow speck on each side of occiput; belly uni- 

 formly red. Total length about a foot. Burma and India. 



Callophis maculiceps. 



Head and muzzle black with two yellow bands on each side; belly red. Total 

 length about 1.5 feet. Inhabits Burma, Cochin China, Malay Peninsula. 



Callophis macclellandii. 



Elaps macclellandii Reinhardt, Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist., IV, 532. Giinther and Boulenger grouped 

 it in Callophis. 



Head and neck black with a yellow crossband, in rear of eyes; back reddish- 

 brown with regular and equidistant black rings; belly yellow with bands and 

 quadrangular marks of black. Total length about 1.5 to 2 feet. Inhabits Nepal, 

 Assam, Burma, southern China. 



