PREFACE. 
THE object contemplated in publishing this small work (which may be 
viewed as a supplement to Sir Joseph Fayrer’s magnificent ‘“ Thanato- 
phidia of India’) has been to place in the hands of the busy officials of 
India a handy-book, by means of which they may easily recognise any 
of the poisonous reptiles of the Peninsula. Sir Joseph Fayrer, K.C.8.L., 
when applied to, generously sanctioned the use of the beautiful plates 
figured in his Thanatophidia. 
The scientific descriptions of Giinther, Fayrer, and Anderson have 
been preserved; but as all technical and other difficult terms have 
been fully explained in the Glossary, the text may be regarded as 
capable of being made intelligible to the mind of the ordinary reader. 
Any further attempt at popularising the work would have ended in 
redundancy, and rendered brevity and portability impossible. There is 
scarcely a term employed in the descriptions, which cannot at once be 
understood by a reference to the Glossary. The conciseness thus 
accomplished has enabled me generally to place the descriptions side by 
side with the Plates. Thisis a great advantage to men so fully employed 
as are the civil, medical, and police authorities of India. 
It is believed that this work will meet a real want. It will enable 
the hard-worked civil surgeon to identify, without much trouble, 
poisonous snakes, a matter of great import to him in the practice of 
his profession, and in his capacity as—it may be—the sole medical 
jurisprude in his district. It will also enable the English speaking 
and reading officials of all grades and departments to distinguish 
poisonous from non-poisonous snakes. It is further hoped that it will 
obviate the necessity of paying rewards for the capture and destruction 
