38 



black and white spots ; this disappears with 



age. 

 Throat : white, mottled ; < mark on head. 

 Belly and sides yellow with a median and two 



lateral rows of brown mottling or lines. 

 Habitat — Assam, Burma. 



SUB-GROUP B.— Poisonous. 



THE COMMON INDIAN KRAIT (Bungarus caeruleus, 

 B. arcuatus). 



Length — May grow to four feet. Usually between two 



and three feet, tail one-eighth. 



Shape — Head : small ; not very distinct. 



Body : moderately stout. 



Tail : short, rather tapering. 



Eye : small with black iris, so that the round 



pupil cannot be seen. 



Teeth : a short poison-fang. 



Head shields. — The nasal touches the first and second 



supra-labials, but never the third. 



Loreal absent. 



Temporal, a single shield touching fifth and sixth 



supra-labials. Supra-labials 7 (3 and 4). 

 Posterior sublinguals touch fourth infra-labial. 

 Infra- labials 4, the fourth the largest * and 



touches only 2 scales behind. (Fig. 10.) 



Scales — 15, smooth. Vertebral row distinctly enlarged * 



and hexagonal. (Fig 7.) 

 Ventrals — 201 to 221 ; anal entire. Sub-caudals 38 — 56, 



entire. 



* These two characteristics dist'nguish kraits from all other snakes. 



