ON THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 725 



thus distinguished.* So it only remains to separate the species under 

 discussion from its closely allied forms. Attention must be paid to 

 the following points: — (1) The costals are arranged in 15 rows. This 

 excludes fl av iceps, sindanus and walli. Ceeruleus is the only one of 

 the remaining species in which the 2nd supralabial is as broad as the 

 3rd. The number and character of the white arches is distinctive, 

 and its distribution will assist where any doubt may arise. 



It is to be noted that it is the only krait inhabiting the Indian 

 Peninsula South of the Ganges if we exclude fasciatus which occurs 

 in the basin of the Mahanadi only. In Sind it is associated with 

 sindanus and north of the Ganges with walli. 



It does not occur in the Brahmaputra Basin where it is replaced by 

 bungaroides, lividus and niger. 



In Ceylon it is associated with ceylonicus. 



It does not occur in Burmah but is replaced by magnfonaculatus 

 and midtieinetus. 



There should be no difficulty in recognising any snake as a 

 krait, however mangled the specimen may be. 



Several snakes bear some superficial resemblance to the krait, 

 and these we are figuring in our next two Plates. I reserve comment 

 upon the resemblances, and the further characters to be relied 

 upon in distinguishing between them, till discussing each form sepa- 

 rately, but it is to be noted that none of them share either of the 

 peculiarities affecting the vertebral row of scales, and the subcaudals 

 given above as characteristic of the kraits. 



Disposition, — The krait is one of the most inoffensive snakes I 

 know. I have had numerous living examples brought to me, 

 and have kept several in captivity, so that my opportunities for 

 studying its nature have been abundant. 



Time after time I have recorded the singular timidity of this snake 

 in my notebooks, often under the greatest provocation, and onlv 

 once have I seen one bite at anything in anger. This specimen had 

 been impaled through and through by a trident and could only 



* la one rare species inhabiting the Eastern Himalayas and Assam Hills, viz., 

 bungaroides, some specimens have all the subcaudal shields divided, so that the diag- 

 nosis here given for ceeruleus though holding good for nearly all the kraits, breaks 

 down aa an absolute generic test. I have therefore in a previous paper (Vol. 5. VII, 

 p p. 57-68) had recourse to additional point? when dealing with the kraits as a group. 



