INDIAN SERPENTS. 
43 
The mouth large, without fangs ; a marginal row of teeth above. 
The eyes small, orbicular. The nostrils small. 
The trunk. The body is small for its length, gradually enlarges till beyond the middle ; 
it then as gradually decreases towards the anus, where it suddenly becomes less, and ter- 
minates in a small sharp pointed tail. The scales are every where very obtuse. 
The length , one foot eight inches, of which the tail measures three inches and a half. 
The colour. The head dark brown, the cheeks striped with the same colour ; the back 
is of a lighter brown, having a dull greenish tint, which grows fainter at the sides, and 
is lost as it approaches the scutae. The belly is white. 
No. XL. 
COLUBER. 
INDIA, II. 
Scuta 1 5 1 . 
Squama 4 6 . 
The head small, rostrum obtuse. The first pair of laminas small, and nearly orbicular, 
and are perforated by the nostrils. The second pair very small, triangular. A third 
pair a little larger, ovate. These terminate at the orbits of the eyes: the remainder of 
the head is covered by very small orbicular scales, which towards the occiput become 
carinated. The mouth small, no fangs, a marginal row of very small teeth above. The 
nostrils small. The eyes small, ovate. 
The trunk. The body thick round, and tapers very gradually into the tail. The scales 
are long oval, and carinate throughout. 
The tail is short, and terminates abruptly, appearing as though a small part had been 
lost by accident during life. 
The length , one foot eight inches, of which the imperfect tail three inches, two lines. 
The colour. The upper part of the head, back, and tail, are of an uniform bluish 
black colour. The sides are uniformly marked from the chin to the extremity of the tail, 
with rounded spots of the same colour as the back. These spots regularly alternate with 
each other, and are connected to one another by slips, from a smaller row of irregular 
shaped spots along the middle of the belly. The belly, white. 
