SPECTACLE SNAKE, 409 



brood being yellow, others grey, and others of 

 mixed colours: it is probable, however, that the 

 colour of the full-grown animal is always similar 

 to that of the individual above described. 



The Count de Cepede, in his History of Ser- 

 pents, gives this species the title of i^er de Lance, 

 from a fancied resemblance between the shape of 

 the flat subtriangular space on the middle of the 

 head to that of a spear-head or halbert* The num- 

 ber of scuta in the small specimen described by 

 that author was 228, and of subcaudal squamse 

 61 pair. In the British Museum specimen above- 

 described, the number of the former is 224, and of 

 the latter 68. 



SPECTACLE SNAKE. 



Coluber Naja. C. ferrugineo-Jiavescens, collo supra macula 

 magna conspicillata albo nigroque mria notato. 



Ferruginous-yellow Snake, with the neck marked above by a 

 large black and white spectacle-shaped spot. 



Coluber Naja. Lin Syst. Nat. p. 382. 



Serpens Malabarica Cobra de Capello dicta. Seb, 2. t. 94./*. 2. 

 Serpens Indicus Noja dictus, &ic. Seb. 2. f. 97. 

 Abdominal scuta 193, subcaudal squamae 60. 



The Coluber Naja, or Cobra de Capello, is a 

 native of India, where it appears to be one of 

 the most common, as well as most noxious, of the 

 Serpent tribe; very frequently proving fatal, in 

 the space of a few minutes, to those who unfoi tu- 

 nately experience its bite. Its remarkable form 



v. III. p. II. 27 



