312 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



thickest part of the body. The head is blunt and flat- 

 tened, but little distinct from the neck and has minute, 

 beady eyes. 



Ranging into Mexico, the Coral Snake undergoes a 

 considerable variation in pattern. One phase of E. ful- 

 vius shows the red rings of great breadth, a constriction 

 of the black ones and almost total obliteration of the 

 yellow. 



Among the species of Elaps generally, the blunt head, 

 minute eyes, absence of the loreal plate, cylindrical form 

 and brightly ringed pattern are strong distinguishing 

 features. 



The species of Elaps rank rather low in mental pow- 

 ers. They appear stupefied by captivity. The pre- 

 vailing idea is to avoid the light and observation, and 

 this they do, if there are any facilities for burrowing 

 or coiling beneath some object. Once secreted, all ideas 

 of food seem to vanish among the majority of specimens. 

 Like many of the Elapine snakes addicted to burrowing 

 habits, the Coral Snakes are cannibalistic, feeding upon 

 other species of snakes and lizards. The method of feed- 

 ing is similar to that of the king cobra, though these 

 smaller serpents display less ingenuity in overpowering 

 the prey. It is quickly grasped and worked along in 

 the jaws until the head points down the throat, when 

 swallowing commences. Upon the cold-blooded prey 

 the poison is slow in taking effect ; and, while the fangs 

 are observed to be repeatedly employed, the subtle fluid 

 seems to aid the snake but little in subduing the quarry, 

 which usually struggles vigorously during the entire 

 swallowing process. The Coral Snakes consume ser- 

 pents of surprising proportions in comparison to their 

 own bulk and length. Several times the writer has ob- 

 served Elaps fulvius eating snakes that were but a few 



