950 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX. 



son's description of the type which had 55 bands, or twice the 

 number as counted in my specimens. 



The snake should never be confused with the banded krait, 

 even when attention is only paid to colour, but evidently some 

 Burmese confuse the two as already mentioned. Again, Mr. 

 Hampton himself sent me several specimens as kraits, probably 

 being misled by his Burmans. It is for this reason that the two 

 snakes are shown together on our Plate, and discussed together 

 in this article. 



Identification. — The dual combination which follows will suffice 

 to distinguish it from all other Indian Snakes up to the present 

 time known, viz., (1) scales two-headslengths, behind the head 

 17, in midbody 17, and two-headslengths before the vent 15. 

 (2) Loreal touching the eye (see fig. D of diagram). 



Dimensions. — Specimens over 2^ feet are unusual, but 1 have 

 had 7 such, the largest being a 5 3 feet and f of an inch in which 

 the tail was slightly imperfect, and a <$ 3 feet and £ of an inch, 

 both captured in Shillong. One 3 feet long I got from Burma. 

 I have seen in all 31 specimens. Mr. Hampton tells me the 

 largest he has seen was 3 feet 7 inches in length. 



Haunts. — It appears to frequent jungle tracts in hilly situations 

 for choice. Shillong where I got so many is heavily wooded, and 

 it was common inside the station, and more than one was en- 

 countered inside a bungalow. Mr. Hampton tells me that they do 

 well in captivity and will live for years. When they died they 

 appeared to be in excellent condition but, perhaps, too fat. 



Habits. — From Mr. Hampton 1 learn that it is essentially a 

 nocturnal snake, never appearing during day light, but he has 

 often noticed them in captivity visible, at 5 and 6 a. m. When 

 people began to move about the house they retired under their 

 blankets unless they were in their bath where they remained in 

 the water until mid-day. He tells me further that they are very 

 quiet, but very quick, striking right, left, or centre without the 

 slightest warning. 



The few specimens I have seen alive were active, and plucky 

 resenting interference, and showing it by assuming an offensive 

 attitude. 



