THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 19 



Poison. — Nothing known. 



Dimensions. — Grows to 4 feet 3^ inches. 



Colour. — Black with 11 to 14 light bands on the body and t or 3 

 on the tail. These bands are white streaked with black lines in the 

 length of the snake. Belly quite white. 



/•' <^' 



STTiraAETTS MULTZCIITCTTJS.-The Many Eanded Erait. 



Identification. — This species has more bands than any other krait. 



From ccerulens it is distinguished by the narrow 2nd supralabiai, its 

 colour, and habitat, from candidus by colour, and habitat, and from 

 magnimaculatus by the fewer ventrals, colour, and habitat. 



Distribution. — Rare in Burmah. Evans and I obtained one from 

 Insein, another dubiously from Rangoon, and there is a specimen 

 in the British Museum from Toungoo. Two specimens in the Indian 

 Museum are labelled Purneah. Occurs also in Southern China, 

 Hainan, and Formosa. 



Poison. — Nothing known. 



Dimensions. — 3 feet 8 inches is the largest measurement I know. 



Colour. — Black with from 31 to 48 pure white bands on the body, 

 11 to 13 on the tail. Belly white. 



(/'^ ) BUNGAEU5 NIGBR-Tlie Greater Black Krait. 



Identification. — Quite black or blue-black above, with the vertebrals 

 broader than long in the middle of the body. The ventrals and 

 subcaudals are more numerous than in lividus. 



Distribution. — I obtained seven specimens in Dibrugarh and one 

 from Sadiya Assam, and have lately received four from the Eastern 

 Himdayas Tindharia 2,800 feet, and Pashok 2,000 to 4,500 feet. 

 Sibsagar and Garo Hills (Sclater.)* 



*Sclater (ia the Jourl., Asiat.Src, Bengal, Yol. LX., p. 246) mentions 3 specimens under 

 the title Bungarus Hvidas. He notes that two of these have the vertebrals broader than 

 long. These, I have examined. Those from Sibsagar and the Garo Hills are B. niger. The 

 third specimen from Saidpur ^Dinapore District) is probably the true Ikid'if bnt T failed to 

 find it. 



