yl- BURMA, ITS PEOPLE ASH I'llUDCCTIOXS. 



B. r.vsciATUs, Schn. 



Scales sraootli, in 15 rows. Tlie vertebral series enlarged. Body banded alter- 

 nately black and yellow. Head black. Throat and belly yellow. Grows to 90 inches. 



Inhabits Peiju and Tenasserim. 



It is called by the Burmese ' Gnan-than gwin-zok.' 



Mason says, "The Karens call this snake the ' Xccklace snake,' because they say 

 it resembles a necklace of black and white beads. "When they go up the streams at 

 night with lights, and smite the fish that are attracted to the light, this snake often 

 follows them, but never does them any harm. The snake seems to be fascinated by 

 the light as wcU as the fish." 



VIPEEINE SXAKES. 



These snakes are characterized by a long tubular poison fang on a short maxillaiy 

 bone, and keeled scales ; a stout liabit of body, and a repulsive lAysiognomy. They 

 are divided into two families. Vipers and Pit-vipers, the latter being provided with 

 a pit in the loreal region. Viviparous. 



Fmnili/ Viperidae. 



Nu loreal pit. 

 DAnoiA, Gray. 

 D. RussELn, Shaw. 



Scales strongly keeled, in 29 to 31 rows. Head covered with scales. Colour 

 greyish or reddisli-brown, with three rows of black, white-edged annular ocelli down 

 the back and sides, tlie vertebral ones ovate, tlie outer ones circular, with some smaller 

 supplementary ocelli interspersed. Two pale lines from the snout, over the eyes, to 

 the temporal region. Belly yellowish, marbled with brown, with numerous semicircular 

 spots on the hinder margins of the veutrals. Grows to 54 inches. 



Inhabits the whole of India, Arakan, and Pegu, but not recorded with certainty 

 from Tenasserim. 



This snake is the ' tic polonga'' of Ceylon, ' Chunila bora ' of Bengal, the ' Cohra 

 monil,' or necklace snake, of early writers. Dr. Mason writes — "This viper is called 

 by the Burmans ' Ifi/we-birie,' which signifies 'ringworm snake,' so named because the 

 spots on its skin are supposed to resemble ' ringworms.' It is generally found in sunny 

 places near the foot-paths. Mr. Cushing encountered it repeatedly in the Shan states. 

 On one occasion ho killed a portly old fellow, while sunning itself on the banks of a 

 small lake ; but it almost proved to Mr. Cushing as great a mistake as Ptolemy's 

 soldier made, when he killed a cat in Egypt, for the Shans declared it was the guardian 

 spirit of their lake, that he had the freedom of the country given him, to go and come 

 when and where he liked, and that he never abused liis liberty by biting any one. He 

 was, in fact, their tutelary deity. 



" While travelling in the Shan state of Zimmay, half a day west of Merughaut, on 

 one occasion Mrs. Cusliing laid down in the shade to rest, in the middle of the day, but 

 was woke from her slumbers, by feeling something crawling over lier, up from her feet. 

 The idea tliat it was a snake suggested itself at once, and she lay perfectly immovable 

 while it crawled deliberately up over her arm, and tlien actually over one side of her 

 face, and ofi^ over the temple. As it dropped its tail from her head, human nature could 

 restrain itself no longer, and she jumpccl up and screamed, just in time to see a large 

 spotted viper taking his departure, and Mr. Cushing came on tlie field in time to see 

 the reptile. These facts prove that the viper docs not bite when allowed to have his 

 own way without let or himbance ; but knowing all this, there are very few people 

 with sufficient presence of mind, coolness, and command of nerve, to allow a deadly 

 serpent to crawl over them from foot to head without moving." 



Mr. W. T. Blanford, writing of this viper, says, "It is a sluggish animal. A 

 friend once told me lie had carried one homo under the belief that it was a young 



