933 



A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN 



SNAKES. 



Illustrated by Coloured Plate and Diagrams 



by 



Major F. Wall, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. 



Part XV with Plate XV., Plate A, 2 Diagrams and Map. 



(Continued from page 633 of this Volume.*) 



BUNG AUUS FASCIATUS. 



The Banded Krait. 



Proterogtyphons colubrines — or colubrines with tubular tangs 

 in the front of the maxilla — are divided into two sub-families, 



(1) Hyd/rophinke — Sea snakes — all of which are poisonous, and 



(2) Elapince — poisonous terrestrial colubrines. The latter sub- 

 family is divided into 69 genera, one of which Bungarus includes 

 the species which forms the subject of this article. The genus 

 Bungarus contains, according to my ideas, twelve distinct species, * 

 but only six were described by Mr. Boulenger in his catalogue 

 in 1896, and one subsequently by the same authority. The type 

 of the genus is Bungarus fasciatus. 



BUNGARUS FASCIATUS (Schneider). 



History. — The first to allude to this snake was Seba who in 

 1735 figured it. Sixty-one years later it was again figured, and 

 described by Russell, f 



Nomenclature (a) Scientific. — The generic name was introduced 

 by Daudin in 1803, and is a latinised rendering of the name by 

 which it is known according to Russell to the natives in Orissa. 

 The specific title from the latin ••banded" was applied by 

 Schneider in 1801. 



(b) English. — To all Anglo-Indians the snake is known by the 

 name of "banded Krait." 



* See my article in this Journal, Vol. XVIII, p. 711. 

 t Ind. Serp. 1790. Vol. I, Plate III. 

 5 



