INDIAN SERPENTS. 
49 
The eyes, vertical, orbicular, prominent. The nostrils minute, near the point of the rostrum. 
The trunk round, nearly of equal bigness, blit tapers a little from the tail to the head; 
covered every where with sub-orbicular scales, closely set, not to be counted on the belly. 
The length about six inches; the size of a hen-quill. 
The colour , a cream-colour, powdered with innumerable black dots. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Though the mouth, and the anus, are very visible to the naked eye, this reptile vulgarly 
passes for a snake with two heads; owing probably to its moving head or tail foremost, in¬ 
differently. It moves with incredible swiftness; and when immersed in ordinary spirits, 
remained alive more than ten minutes. 
It is not uncommon at Vizagapatam; and is held to be mischievous, which I consider as 
a vulgar error. 
No. XLIV. 
ANGUIS. 
Called by the natives Tatta Pam. Anguis Scytale , Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 392 ? 
The head hardly broader than the neck, small, roundish, obtuse. The first pair of laminae 
triangular, perforated by the nostrils; the next pair triangular also, but smaller; the middle 
lamina of the three between the eyes, hexangular; the posterior pair, as large as all the others, 
oval, acuminate in front: behind these, are three small angular laminae. 
The mouth not wide; the jaws of equal length. The teeth , small, reflex, regular; a mar¬ 
ginal, and two palatal rows, in the upper jaw. 
The eyes lateral, orbicular. The nostrils vertical, round, open. 
Trunk; the neck round, smooth; the scales small, ovate, imbricate; the back carinated, 
the sides declining, the belly roundish; the scales on the trunk, as well as on the tail and 
the belly, orbicular, close, not imbricate. 
The length, nineteen inches and a half; the circumference, three fourths of an inch, but 
towards the tail, where thickest, one inch and one fourth. The tail, flat, two edged, rounded 
at the end, with a small point: measures only two inches. 
Colour: the head black ; the trunk and the tail also black ; but on the sides are fifty-eight 
yellowish-white, conical, spots, with the points towards the ridge of the back, some of which 
(on the neck, and near the tail,) join their points together: the tip of the tail not spotted. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
This snake was found on the sea-beach at Vizagapatam, in August, 1 7 88. It was very 
alert in its motions, but showed no disposition to bite. Being put into a vessel with some sea 
water, with a view to preserve it for experiment, it died in a few minutes. 
