8i4 C O -L U B E R. 
tlie fcales on fire back oval, carinated, imbricate ; cn the 
Tides not carinated, and two rows next to the fcuta larger, 
roundifh, fmooth. The length two feet nine inches and 
a half; the circumference three inches and a half. The 
tail flightlycarinated, tapers very gradually to within four 
inches of its fliarp point. The colour on the head is darker 
than the reft ; two unequal black ftreaks behind each eye, 
with'a yellow fpot between them. The neck, trunk, and 
tail, of a yellowifh brown, with numerous round black 
lpots, joined by narrow black fillets, regularly difpofed in 
oblique rows, a few fcales of lighter yellow being inter- 
fperled. On the tail the fpots are not joined, and towards 
the point difappear. The fcuta and fquamse are of ayel- 
lowifh white. From its frequenting the wet fields, this is 
commonly reckoned a water-fnake. It moves fwittly, and 
carries its head high, with a menacing air in its progref- 
fion; but, when piovoked, it neither hiffed, nor did it 
fnap at a ftick which was oppofed to it. It feemed rather 
to avoid a chicken which was fet down before it; and 
could not be provoked to 1)116, though pecked feveral 
times by the chicken. While it lay coiled up, a chicken, 
properly fecured, was laid upon it, but it continued quiet, 
without attempting to wreath round the chicken, or other- 
wife to annoy it; and, when the bird fluttered and ftrug- 
gled to get loofe, the fnake, as if afraid, crept away. It 
ihould be remarked, however, that, in the courfe of 
this laft experiment, the fnake threw up a large fiih, 
which appeared to have been but a (hort time in the fto- 
mach ; fo that its forbearance might, in fome meafure, be 
owing to not being hungry ; a circumftance that fug- 
gefted caution againfl hally decifion. But the neeli koea 
certainly is not venomous, and does not appear to be very 
irafcible. Abdominal fcuta 152, fub-caudal fquamse 80; 
total 232. 
193. Katla Biitta .—-The head broader than the neck, 
ovate, deprefled, covered with ten laminae: the anterior 
emarginate ; the firft pair perforated by the noftrils ; the 
next larger and roundifh ; the lateral laminae of the three 
between the eyes conical, the middle lamina broad fliield- 
form ; the occipital pair femi-cordate, The mouth finall; 
the jaws nearly equal. The teeth fmall, regular; two 
palatal rows, and one marginal, in the upper jaw; fome 
of the hinder teeth on each fide longer than the others. 
The eyes finall, orbicular, prominent. The trunk round, 
about the fize of a large goofe-quiil,and nearly of equal thick- 
nefs. The fcales fmooth, fub-orbicular, imbricate. The 
length eight inches. The tail very taper, and fliarp point¬ 
ed. The colour approaches to an olive yellow. The head 
is Angularly marked with three triangular black fillets, 
with waving white margins; the firft, pointing to the nof¬ 
trils, extends to the eyes; the fecond, ipringing from the 
Ihield-form lamina, crolfes the femi-cordate, and is con¬ 
tinued diverging to the throat; the third, broader than 
either of the other two, touches the femi-cordate laminae, 
and diverges on the neck. Along the whole of the trunk 
and tail are about thirty-four tranfverfe fillets, with wav¬ 
ing white margins, which continue to the end of the tail. 
The fcuta of a pearl colour. The above defcription was 
made from a living fubjedt. found at Vizagapatam in 1788, 
which afforded an opportunity of attempting to make it 
bite chickens and pigeons ; but, though frefh caught, and 
very lively, it could never be piovoked to bite either; 
from the abfence, however, of poifoning organs, it may 
lafely he pronounced harmlefs. Dr. Ruliell was more par¬ 
ticular in relpedf to this fnake, as it frequently pafles for 
the cobra monil; under which name it had been fent to 
him in fpirits from Ganjam, Mafulipatam, and other 
places, before he met with it alive. Abdominal fcuta 188, 
fub-caudal Iquunse 55 ; ttftal 243. 
194. Katla •vyrien. —The head broader than the neck, 
oblong-ovate, deprefled, covered with ten laminse, in¬ 
cluding that in front of the roftrum : the anterior pair 
between the noftrils roundifh; the next pair larger, an¬ 
gular; the fhield-form lamina (hort, obtuf’e; the lateral 
femi-conical; the pofterior pair, inverted cones. The 
mouth middling fize; the lower jaw fhorter than the,up¬ 
per. The teeth fmall, reflex-; two palatal rows, a-nd one 
marginal, in the upper jaw. The eyes lateral, orbicular, 
prominent. The noftrils very fmall, clofe on the margin, 
of the roftrum. The back is carinated, the belly flat; the 
fcales fub-orbicular, fmooth, clofe, imbricate. The length, 
one foot five inches. The tail is very fmall, find termi¬ 
nates in a fnarp point. There is a yellow fpot on the oc¬ 
ciput, or beginning of the neck, but the reft of the head, 
the neck, and part of the back, are of a dark brown co¬ 
lour, which gradually growing lighter, becomes, in ap¬ 
proaching the tail, of a yellowifh brown. From the head 
to the extremity of the tail there are about thirty-fix 
tranfverfe bands, in fliape refembling a dice-box ; they 
are of a dufky yellowifh white, fprinkled with brown dots. 
This fnake was fent from Vellore, and fuppofed to be the 
cobra monil ; but the want of poifoning organs fliewed 
it was not. Abdominal fcuta 234, fub-caudal fquamae 
^7 ; total 321. 
195. Katla vyrien, var.—Head broader than the neck, 
roundifh, (hort, obtufe, covered with nine laminae; the 
firft two pair nearly equal in fize, oblong-fquare, tranf¬ 
verfe ; the middle lamina between the eyes fquare; the 
two pofterior laminae truncate. The mouth middling 
fize; the jaws nearly of equal length. The teeth fliarp, 
reflex, and (as ufual where there are no fangs) a, margi¬ 
nal and two palatal rows in the upper jaw. The eyes la¬ 
teral, round, prominent. The noftrils fmall, round near 
the roftrum. The trunk covered with ovate, clofe, fmooth, 
imbricate, fcales; the back carinated; the belly fiat. The 
length nine inches; thicknefs at the neck about that of 
a crow-quill; and, about the middle, hardly exceeds the 
fize of a goofe quill: it tapers towards the th.il, which 
meafures one inch eight lines, and is exceedingly fiender 
and fliarp pointed. The colour of the head pure yellow-; 
the trunk and the tail a dark brown, arid, as in the pre¬ 
ceding, decorated the whole length by tranfverfe bands, 
of the fhape of oice-boxes, but of a pale yellow,.without 
intermixture of dark dots, except one middle dot on each, 
fcale next the fcuta. The fcuta are yellow- like the bands. 
This fnake approaches, in many' eircumftances, fo near 
to the one laft defcribecl, that it may poflibly be only a 
variety of the lame fpecie,. This alfo was fent under the 
name of cobra monil, to which it is no more entitled than 
any of the preceding harmlefs fnakes fo named errone- 
oufly. Abdominal fcuta 243, and fub-caudal fquamse 82, 
total 325. 
196. Bora .—The head broader than the neck, oblong, 
deprefled, the roftrum fub-comprefled, very obtufe. The 
hind-head covered with very fmall ovate fcales; the reft 
with a number of laminae. The mouth wide, the jaws 
equal. The teeth in the lower jaw large, reflex, fnarp; 
in the upper jaw a marginal row and two palatal rows, 
as in all ferpents that have no fangs. The eyes lateral, 
orbicular, large. The noftrils very near the point of the 
roftrum. The trunk round, covered with fmall, fmooth, 
oval, fcales, clofely imbricate : but there are two rows of 
larger fcales on each fide of the belly. The fcuta are re¬ 
markably fuort; and a little above the anus, on each fide, 
is a fmall fpur, about the fourth of an inch in length, of 
a horny texture, curved, with the {harp point turned out¬ 
wards. The length four feet ten inches. The tail round, 
(hort, taper pointed. The fub-caudal fquamse, thirty-fix 
in number, are followed by twenty-eight complete fcuta, 
between which and the point are three pair of fquamse. 
The predominant colour is brown. All along the back 
are large roundifh fpots, of a light brown in the middle, 
the edges of a yellowifh brown; the fides are variegated 
by brown fpots on a whitifli ground, which brightens in 
approaching the belly. The fcuta are of a pearl white. 
It is pretended, that though the bite of the bora does not 
prove mortal in lefs than ten or twelve days, it is very 
loon followed with eruptions on different parts of the body. 
197. Hurriah. —The head fcarcely broader than the 
neck, ovate, obtufe, deprefled ; towards the roftrum coro- 
preffed. The laminae, in number ten, vary from the ufual 
forms. The firf^ triangular; the firft pair perforated by 
the 
