THE HABITS OF MALAY REPTILES. 201 
peninsula are nearly always inky black, further north they are 
brown. Ihave never seena brown one in Singapore, nor a 
black one in Penang or Province Wellesley. They appear to be 
much smaller than the Indian form, a specimen over five feet long 
being unusual. When annoyed the Cobra sits up in the well- 
known manner, and makes a very curious snorting noise, holding 
its mouth open in the form of acircle, and every now and then 
spitting its saliva at its opponent, whence its name aia sputa- 
trix. It never attempts to bite, but spits with great accuracy. 
One struck me all over the race at a distance of eight feet, and 
a student of snakes, who was not aware of this habit in our local 
variety, was struck in the eye by one he was examining ; the 
saliva, which produces only a slight irritation of the skin ot the 
face, causing some amount of inflammation in the eye, which 
did not subside for some hours. I have also seen a dog struck 
in the eye by the saliva, while attacking a cobra, much to his 
discomfiture. When cornered and defending himself, the cobra 
is very quick in turning the raised part of the body, which it 
throws forward for a considerable distance, to deter its enemy, 
but if left alone, glides away as quickly as it can, taking refuge 
under a log, orina hole. It is nocturnal in its habits, remaining 
in its hole all day, unless disturbed. It generally feeds on mice 
and toads, but I once found one eating a small snake (Macropis- 
thodon). In captivity it is quiet, and usually gentle. 
The Hamadryad (Nava bungarus or Ophiophagus elaps), though — 
not an exceedingly common snake, is probably better known by 
reputation to residents than any other. It is the biggest of all 
our poisonous snakes, attaining a length of 13 feet, and is pro- 
portionately stout. In colour it is usually a pale brown, without 
any markings, and as it does not sit up so often as the cobra 
does, when in Ganger, and the large poison glands, so conspicu- 
ous in many venomous snakes, are not very clearly visible, it is 
often mistaken for a harmless snake. Its plain brown colour, the 
large plates on its blunt head, and when irritated, its erect atti- 
tude and expanded hood easily distinguish it. It is commonly 
reported to be very aggressive and to pursue people who irritate 
it. I have never seen this myself, and it certainly requires fur- 
ther proof. As is well known, it feeds, generally at least, on other 
snakes, and I have caught one in the act of swallowing a small 
