4 THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA 



dead before liim. Without disturbing Mr. Boulenger's classification, 



which is the accepted one, I divide them as follows: — 



TAILS NOT MARKEDLY COMPHESSED 



(i.e., not flattened like an eel's— see fig. 1 B and C). 



FAMILY. 



1 Typhlopidse. 



2 Glauconiidae. 



3 Boidaj. 



A—VENTRALS 

 ABSENT. 



Snakes in tohich the belly 



and bach are clothed with 



identical scales {see fig. 2). 



B—VENTRALS 

 NARROW. 



SnaJces with the belly 

 covered with transverse plates 

 (ventraW) which however do 

 not extend contpletehj across 

 the belly, so that when the 4 Ilysiidse, 

 specimen is laid on its bach 5 XJropeltidse. 

 the whole of the last costal g Xenopeltid^. 

 roio, or even many costal roios, 7 Colubridse. 

 are visible on each side (see (Sub-family Homalop- 

 figs. 3 and 4). sin«). 



C—VENTRALS 



BROAD. 



Snakes with the belly shields 7 Colubridae (except 

 stretching so far across as to the Sub-fa m i lies 



permit only part of the last Homalopsinse and 



costal row to be seen on each Hydrophiinie). 



side iclien the specimen is laid 8 Amblycephalidae. 



on its bach (see fig. b). 9 Viperid^. 



TAILS COMPRESSED 



Small blind snakes 

 worm-like, and living 

 beneath the ground, 



HARMLESS. 



5- HARMLESS. 



INCLUDES 

 HARMLESS AND 

 POISONOUS VA- 

 RIETIES. 

 HARMLESS. 

 POISONOUS. 



(i.e., flattened like an eel's— see fig. 1 A). 

 Sea snakes. Family Colubridse. Sub-family Hydrophiinae. POISONOUS. 



Fig. 1. 



o 



A— Highly compressed tail typical of the sea snakes (Hyarophiintc). Poisonous. 

 B and C— Slightly compressed and round tails of landsnakes (incliiding freshwater 

 forms) seen in both harmless and poisonous species. 



