298 BUIiilA, ITS PEOPLE ASB PRODL-CTIOSS. 



Famlhj Typhlopidae. 



Tvrm.ors, Burner il et Bihron. 



T. HonsFiELDn, Gray. 



Fi'onto-nasal in contact witli the second labial. Nasal and fronto-nasal united. 

 Colour dark blackish-olive above, passing to dull yellowish on the belly. Grows to 

 17 iuehes. 



Kanges from Assam to Tenasserim. 



T. BOTHUiOHHTNcnDS, Giintlier. 



Fronto-nasal in contact with the second labial. A round groove larger than the 

 nostril in the suture between the nasal and fronto-nasal. A smaller groove on the 

 suture between the rostral and nasal. Colour uniform brown. Grows to 1 1 inches. 

 Has been taken at Hurdwar, Assam and I'inang. 



T. Andamanexsis, Stol. 



Fronto-nasal in contact with the second labial. Nasal and fronto-nasal separated 

 hy a suture above and below. Fronto-nasals do not meet behind. Colour' brownish- 

 black above, sides vinaceous. Below paler, white-mottled. 



Inhabits the Andamans. 



T. BuRMANus, Stoliczka. 



Fronto-nasal in contact with the second labial. Fronto-nasals just touch each 

 other in a point behind the rostral. Nasal separated from the ironto-nasal by an 

 extremely fine short suture. Colour vinaceous black above, paler on the sides, yellow 

 below. The snout in front pale yellow. 



Inhabits Maulmain. 



T. Braminus, Daud. 



The fronto-nasal separated from the labials by the nasal and prteocular shields. 

 Nasal separated from the fronto-n:isals, but in contact with the praiocular. Colour 

 uniform brown, paler below. Grows to 8 inches. 



Inhabits India and Burma. 



These snakes are rather difficult to distinguish from each other, especially if 

 much injured, as their specific characters are mainly minute differences in the 

 arrangement of the head shields. In all species the scales are smooth and imbricate, 

 the eyes rudimentary and covered by the head shields, the upper labials four, and 

 the cleft of the mouth inferior and very small. In spite of this helpless organization, 

 they are regarded generally with much awe in IntUa no less than in Burma. 



Famili/ Tortricidae. 



Cyi-rNDEorms, Waglcr. 



C. ETTFUS, Laur. 



Nostril in a single nasal. Nasals united behind the rostral. Eye surrounded by 

 a supraorbital, a postocular, two labials and a frontal. Colour brown. Belly with 

 white cross-bands (perhaps red seasonably). A red collar and red below the tail. 

 Scales 1 9 to 2 1 rows. Grows to 30 inches. 



Inhabits Pegu and Tenasserim. 



" Under certain circumstances" (writes Dr. Mason) " the Burmans say the bite 

 of this serpent is fatal. These are five: gnan-noutig, loo-sowig, yo»»g-soii»g, Inn-somig, 

 ne-nounq, ' Snake oblique, man oblique, turban obli<jue, road oblique, and sun 

 obliqiu".' That is, if the snake approaches a man with its head askance, as tliis 

 snake is always said to do, and the man look at it askance, and if his turban be jmt 

 askance, and he be moving on the road askance, and the sun be askance descending in 

 the heavens; when these five circumstances nu'ct, if the snake bite, which by the 

 way is always very improbable, death will certainly ensue ! " 



