ELAPIDyE. 
13 
glands extending from tlie head to about one-third of the total 
length of the body, lying free in the cavity of the anterior part, 
and causing’ the heart to be much further removed backward than 
is generally the case in other species of snakes.— Pro. Asiatic 
Soc., April, 1870. 
Callophis macclellandii. 
Elaps macclellandii, Brink. Cal. Journal Nat. IJist., 1844. 
„ personatus, Blijth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., 1855. 
„ univirgatus, Gunther s Colubrine Snakes. 
Callophis univirgata, Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1859. 
„ macclellandii, Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1861. 
Gunther’s description of the species generally is as follows :— 
“ Upper labials seven; temporals small, 1 + 1 + 1 - anal bifid. 
“Head and neck black above, with a yellow cross hand 
behind the eyes. Body and tail reddish-brown, generally with 
a black vertebral line from the nape to the tip of the tail. 
Belly yellowish, with black cross bands or quadrangular black 
spots.” 
Gunther describes three varieties of this snake :— 
“ a. Belly with uninterrupted black cross bands, alternately 
limited to the belly, or extending up the sides of the body, so 
as to cover scales of the four outer rows and give the ap¬ 
pearance of a lateral series of large black spots. The three last 
cross bands of the trunk form complete rings crossing the ver¬ 
tebral line; tail with three other black rings. This specimen is 
261 inches long, tail 21 inches. Ventrals 218 ; sub-caudals 28. 
“ft. Belly with quadrangular black spots rather irregularly 
disposed, and not extending up the sides. Tail without black 
rings. This specimen is 18 inches long, tail 1| inch. Yentrals 
224; sub-caudals 25. 
“ y. The cross bands reach entirely across the back, forming 
rings, from twenty-two to twenty-eight in number; no black 
vertebral line, which, however, is indicated by isolated small 
spots. Yentrals 196-218; sub-caudals 27-34. Varieties a 
and ft are from Nepal and Darjeeling; y from As sam.” 
There is a good specimen of this snake in the Indian Museum, 
but it has been bleached by the action of the spirit; it is from 
Assam. Museum No. 123. 
Callophis annularis. 
Giinther says of it:—“ Head and neck black above, with a 
broad yellow cross band behind the eyes. Body and tail 
reddish-brown, without longitudinal band, but with forty nar¬ 
row, equidistant, black, white-edged rings; each of them is 
about as broad as a scale on the back (those round the tail 
being broader), and occupies one ventral shield on the belly. 
Belly yellowish, with a black cross band in the middle between 
the rings; each of these cross bands occupies a ventral shield, 
so that about every third ventral is black. 
“ Upper labials six ; temporals small, 1 +1 +1 : the first very 
narrow, the third the largest. Yentrals 208 ; anal bifid; sub- 
caudals 33.” 
Gunther adds : “ I have examined only one specimen of this 
species, remarkable on account of its singular coloration. It 
is maiked India, and is 19 inches long, the tail measuring 2 
inches.” 
Callophis trimaculatus. 
Vipera trimaculata, Baud. Bept. 
Elaps trimaculatus, Merr. Tent. 
Coluber melanurus, Shaw, Zool. 
Callophis trimaculatus, Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1859. 
Gunther thus describes this species:— 
“Light bay above: an indistinct line formed by minute 
brown dots, along each series of scales. The upper side of 
the head, the neck, and a spot below the eye black ; snout with 
some irregular small yellow spots ; a yellow spot on each tem¬ 
poral shield ; a sub-triangular yellow spot on tlie middle of the 
neck ; the black of the neck edged with yellow behind. Tail 
marbled with black below, and with two black rings, each of 
which is variegated with yellow. Belly uniform white (red 
during life). 
“Upper labials six; temporals elongate, 1 + 1 , equal in size. 
Yentrals 258-274 ; anal bifid; sub-caudals 35.” 
Bussell has figured this snake in his Indian Serpents, figure 
viii. vol. i. Gunther says he has received one from Bengal 
agreeing with Bussell’s typical specimen. The snake is very 
small, being only 12 inches long, tail measuring inch. 
There are specimens in the Indian Museum described as 
Elaps melanurus. Cantor, from Bangoon. These were presented 
by Dr. Eayrer in the year 1853. They are bleached and altered 
in colour by the action of the spirit. Museum No. 124. 
Callophis nigrescens. 
Callophis nigrescens, Gunther. 
„ concinnus, Beddome. 
„ malabaricus, Jerdon ; Beddome. 
Gunther’s description is as follows :— 
“ Upper parts dark blackish ash, or black, the lower uniform 
red. Upper part of the head symmetrically marbled with 
black; a black spot below the eye; another descends from the 
occipital to the angle of the mouth ; a black horseshoe-like 
collar, with the convexity directed forwards ; a narrow black 
vertebral line slightly edged with yellowish runs from the 
collar to the tip of the tail; a series of small ovate black spots, 
indistinctly edged with whitish, along each side of the trunk, 
disappearing posteriorly; tail coloured like body, without black 
rings. In old examples the black dorsal stripe and the black 
lateral spots disappear, and only the whitish edges of the latter 
remain, forming indistinct longitudinal lines. 
“Vertical shield elongate. Upper labials seven; temporals 
1 + 1, the anterior twice the size of the posterior. Yentrals 232- 
247 ; anal entire, in one specimen bifid; sub-caudals 33-42. 
“ I have examined three specimens of this species, one of 
which was sent by Captain B. H. Beddome from the 
Nilgherries; the largest is 4 feet long, the tail measuring 5 
inches.” 
Callophis cerasinus. 
Major Beddome describes a species obtained from the Wynaad, 
Malabar forests, at an elevation of 3000 feet. 
“ Bostral slightly produced back between the anterior fron- 
tals ; anterior frontals only half the size of the posterior, the 
latter touch the orbit; no loreal and no ante-ocular; nostril 
between two nasals; seven upper labials, third, fourth, and 
fifth very high; third and fourth enter the orbit; one small 
post-ocular; vertical six-sided elongated, pointed behind; 
supraciliary small; occipitals large, elongated, pointed behind, 
with a pair of large temporals on each side; anal entire; back 
purplish-brown, with a shining nacreous lustre, with transverse 
broad irregular-shaped black bands extending to the top of 
the tail (about 40) at nearly equal distances, and which are 
continued (though not broad) underneath the belly and tail, but 
do not quite meet; sides (2 or 2 | of lowest row of scales) and 
belly of a bright cherry colour ; head black in front, neck 
with the fifth, sixth, and seventh labials, and a portion of the 
occipitals cherry-coloured; length 21 J inches, of which the tail 
is 2 inches; circumference 1 J inch; sub-caudals 13; abdo¬ 
minals 228.” 
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