I 45 ] 
to swimming. They do not lay eggs, but produce living young. 
Close on twenty species have been recorded from these seas, 
but we can consider only two or three of them. Distira stokesti 
is one of the larger forms. Although it is only about S feet 
in length, yet its body is very stout and appears extremely 
powerful It is of yellowish colour interrupted by broad black 
bands or rings.— P/i// writs colubnnus is about of the same length, 
but much more slender, It is of a yellowish colour with narrow 
black x\ng,^,-"Enhydris bardunckii is about 2?'^ feet in length. 
It is of light colour with rather indistinct dark rings. The 
scales of the lower surface are s pined. 
The most dangerous of the terrestrial snakes in Malaya 
all belong to the subfamily ' Elapinae ' wliich includes the 
Banded Adder, the Cobra and the Hamadryad. The Banded 
Adder or 'Ular ketak tebu ' {Bungarus fascial us) is a very 
handsome snake. It is of a bright yellow colour with broad 
black rings, and grows to about 6 feet in length. Its Malay 
name is, of course, from the resemblance of the alternating light 
and dark rings to the joints of the sugar cane. The name 
* Ular katam tebu,' given in some books, is obviously wrong. 
A closely allied form is called the * Krait * m India. 
The best known Malayan snake is probably the Black 
Cobra {Naia tripitdians), of evil repute. The typical Indian form 
is yellowish to dark brown above and has a black-and-white spec- 
tacle mark on its hood, but the variety which is most common 
on the Malay Peninsula and in Singapore is generally uniform 
black or dark brown and shows a U or O-shaped marking of the 
hood only in the young. The well-known power of dilating the 
neck into a hood is a character which distinguishes the cobras 
from all other snakes. There are about ten different species of 
cobra mpst of which, however, occur in Africa- A full grown 
Black Cobra measures about 5 feet. Its Malay name is ' Ular 
tedong sendok.' 
Twice as large or more is the most formidable of local 
Snakes^ the Hamadryad {Naia bungarus), *Ular tedong selar.' 
It is widely distributed, being found in India, Burma, Indo- 
China, the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. As Cantor says, 
it is very fierce and always ready not only to attack, but also to 
pursue, and accounts of its chasing people are frequently heard. 
Its bite must naturally be more dangerous than that of most 
other venomous snakes, as this species is so much larger and 
more powerful. The Museum has specimens in spirit and a 
plaster of Paris cast, all about 12 feet in length. But specimens 
as long as 14 feet have been recorded. The only redeeming 
