INDIAN SERPENTS. 
7 
eyes, orbicular with a sharp point ; those on the sides oblong ; the posterior pair rudely 
semicordate, and deeply divided at the base by the point of the central lamina. 
The mouth wide, the jaws of equal length. One, or more, very minute fangs are 
found on each side of the upper jaw, situated in the usual place. There are no marginal 
teeth ; and the palatal, as well as the teeth in the under jaw, are remarkably small. 
The eyes lateral. The nostrils almost vertical, round. 
The trunk. The neck slender, hardly broader than the head, round, long ; the back 
rounded, the sides declivous, the belly carinated ; the trunk grows gradually thicker, 
till near the anus, where it diminishes a little. The tail short, flat, round pointed, the 
edges very thin. The scales imbricate, oval on the upper part of the neck, and smooth ; 
on other parts carinate; on the back ovate, on the sides and belly orbicular : the abdo- 
minal and subcaudal scales inconsiderably larger than the others. 
The length three feet four inches ; of the tail four inches and a quarter. Circum- 
ference of the head one inch three lines ; of the neck one inch and a half ; of the 
thickest part of the body three inches three-fourths ; two inches from the vent, two 
inches one-third. 
The colour , olive green above, yellow beneath, with 5 8 black, or dark-blue bands on 
the trunk, and nine on the tail. These bands completely encircle the body, but are 
broadest on the ridge of the back, narrowing towards the belly. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
A fowl bitten in the thigh, very soon became disordered ; it drooped its head, and 
within a minute and a half showed other signs of infection ; at the end of five minutes, 
it was seized with convulsions, and in two minutes more expired : that is, in seven 
minutes after the bite. 
This Anguis, and the four which immediately follow, were brought to Calcutta from 
the salt water rivers which intersect that part of Bengal called the Sunderbunds. 
They were observed to be very alert and nimble while in water, but moved slowly 
on dry ground. Those who brought them, appeared ignorant of their being venomous. 
They said they were found only in salt water ; that they soon die, when taken out of 
the water ; and even in fresh water can survive but a short time: they added, probably 
with a view of enhancing the price, that they were very rare. 
I must remark here, that all the specimens in spirits from Calcutta, being carefully 
put up, were received in good preservation, and four of them were accompanied with 
coloured drawings. 
