28 



Chapter V. 



A SIMPLE MEANS OF IDENTIFYING 

 THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF CEYLON 

 WITHOUT SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE. 



There are many people who are desirous of 

 identifying the poisonous varieties of Ceylon 

 snakes when met with, but are unwilling to make a 

 detailed study of head-shields, scaling, and den- 

 tition, etc., necessary for the identification of a 

 snake. In order to identify a snake by scientific 

 methods, it is also necessary to catch or kill it, 

 which many people are unwilling or unable to do. 



The dangerous snakes of Ceylon — that is, 



those which will or are liable to cause death are 



so few, however, that it is comparatively easy to 



recognise them. 



Brief identi- I. Naia Tripudians (Common Cobra). This 



fheP°ote°o- ^s the most common and the most virulent of the 



giyphaand poisonous snakcs of Ceylon, and is easily recog- 



iperi ae. disable by anyone who has once examined one. 



It is a thickish snake of black, brown, or grey, 

 with a dilatable neck (or hood) marked with a 

 white inverted spectacle pattern, often on a pinkish 

 background. The under surface is crossed with 

 wide black bars. 



The only snake that at all resembles it is the 

 harmless Zamenis Mucosus (Rat-snake), though no 

 one who has ever compared the two is likely to 

 confuse them. 



The Zamenis, in addition to differing in the 

 shape of the body and head, has no black bars on 

 its under-surface, and its neck is not dilatable to 

 any great extent. 



