22 
DESCRIPTION OF 
No. XIX. 
COLUBER. 
Scuta Abdominalia 271 
Squama Subcaudales 24 
Ataligato Seba Thes. V. ii. Tab. 7 7. fig. 6. 
Called by the natives 
The head small, not thicker than the neck, oblong, round, obtuse, the crown rather 
flat. The laminae which separate the nostrils, triangular ; the next pair of a roundish 
shape, and twice as large ; the shield-from lamina trigonal and proportionally large, 
the lateral very small, forming one of several scales which border the orbit ; the semi- 
cordate pair unusually large, and intersected by the point of the shield-form lamina. 
The mouth narrow. A fang of moderate size on each side, but no marginal row of 
teeth above. The eyes globular, and very small. The nostrils on the edge of the rostrum 
large and open. 
The trunk cylindrical, somewhat thicker than a swan quill ; a little thicker at the 
middle, and from an inch and a half above the vent diminishes very gradually to the 
tip of the short tail. The scales universally smooth, glistening, as if highly varnished. 
Those on the neck suborbicular, and rather contiguous than imbricated: on the back 
the scales are imbricated, and more of an ovate shape. 
The length thirteen inches eight lines, of which the tail claims nearly one inch. 
The colour chesnut : the scuta a dull yellow. A narrow, oblique, yellow streak from 
each nostril, first edges the shield-form lamina, then runs united to the nap of the neck, 
where it is crossed by a similar line from a yellow patch on each cheek. From the 
junction of these yellow lines, a chain of white scales runs straight along the middle of 
the back to the end of the tail, and a similar white thread runs along the side parallel 
to one of a chesnut colour next to the scuta. The scuta are crossed at unequal distances 
by narrow dark bands. The white and chesnut threads terminate at the vent ; and 
there are no cross bands on the under part of the tail. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
I have hardly met with a venomous serpent of less suspicious external appearance 
than the present subject. The head is covered with regular laminae, the scales are 
smooth, close, and varnished, and its body variegated with elegant simplicity; at the 
same time, it is so peculiarly marked as not to be easily mistaken. 
