JAVA SNAKE. 441 



unspotted, as is also the thinnest part of the tail, 

 where the blue is more intense than on the other 

 parts : the under part of the animal is of a yellow- 

 ish white, and in a smaller specimen figured in 

 the same work the abdomen is of an orange-colour. 

 This species is a native of South America and the 

 West-Indian islands : uncertain whether poison- 

 ous or not. 



JAVA SNAKE. 



Coluber Javanicus. C. griseus, capite C(zruleo striata, corpot^e 



striis ccerukis margine luteis decussato. 

 Grey Snake, with the head striped with blue, and the body 



crossed by blue stripes with gold-coloured edges. 

 Abdominal scuta 312, subcaudal scales 93. 



This remarkable snake is described by Mr. 

 Wurmb, in the Memoirs of the Batavian Society 

 for the year 1787. It grows to the length of nine 

 feet, and is principally seen in the rice-fields of 

 Java ; but it is added, that those which are found 

 in the higher and more wooded situations arrive 

 at a far superior size, so as to become dangerous 

 from their strength alone, devouring not only rats, 

 birds, &c. but even some of the larger animals, 

 which cannot always escape their pursuit. The 

 head of this snake is large and flat, and covered, 

 as in the major part of this genus, with large scaly 

 plates : the mouth is furnished with double rows 

 of sharp teeth, but is destitute of fangs, the ani- 

 mal not being of a poisonous nature : the iriis of 

 V. ill. p. II. 29 



