22 



Body : slender, rather flattened. 

 Tail : tapering. 



Eye : small, black, beady. The vertical pupil is 

 hard to distinguish on account of the black 

 iris. 



Teeth — The anterior teeth both in the upper and lower 

 jaw are long. This characteristic, though not 

 always very conspicuous, can generally be 

 made out. 



Head shields — Regular. (In aulicus the prae- ocular 

 reaches the frontal ; in striatus it does not.) 



Scales — 17, smooth. 



Ventrals — 178 to 224 ; anal divided. Sub-caudals 57—77; 

 double. 



CoZowrw^— Chocolate brown with numerous white or 

 yellowish cross-bands decussating laterally and 

 most evident in the anterior part of the body. 

 In old specimens the cross-bars are less dis- 

 tinct. 



Habitat — A very common snake both in India and 

 Burma. On account of its colour, I suppose, it 

 is frequently mistaken for a krait. It is small, 

 lively and bites readily, hence kraits have got 

 the reputation for these characteristics. 



THE IJTTLE TRINKET SNAKE [Coluber HeUnay 



Length — Grows to upwards of 3 feet, tail one-fifth. 

 Shape — Head : narrow with elongated snout. Distinct. 



Body : slender and compressed. 



Tail : moderate or tapering and thin. 



Eye : moderate, pupil round with greenish iris. 

 Head shields — Regular. 



• Cynophii Helena (Nicholson). 



