INDEX 



Shrikes (continued] 



,, the brown, Lanius cristatus, 

 180 ; abounds in Calcutta 

 except in summer, 180; 

 times of arrival and de- 

 parture of, 180; presence 

 of, advertised by calls, 181 ; 

 calls of, one of the earliest 

 harbingers of the approach 

 of winter, 181 ; possible 

 function of their calls, 182 ; 

 occasionally attack small 

 birds, 183 ; sometimes im- 

 pale their prey, 183 ; 

 plumage of, 183 



,, the large Cuckoo, Graucalus 

 maciiy 184 ; often seen in 

 gardens, 184 ; habits of, 184 



,, the scarlet Mini vet, Pericro- 

 cotus speciosuSy rare in 

 Calcutta, 184 ; splendid 

 colouring of, 184 



Snakes the Dhamin, or Rat-snake, 

 Zamenis mucoms, 336 ; 

 reputed ferocity of, 337 ; 

 behaviour when swallowing 

 toads, 337 



,, Lycodon aulicus, 333 ; often 

 enters houses, 334 ; re- 

 semblance to the Krait, 334 



,, the Grass, Tropidonotus sto- 

 latus, 334 ; abundant in 

 gardens, 334; often swallows 

 relatively large victims, 334 



,, the Pond, Tropidonotus pis- 

 cator, 336; colouring of, 336; 

 boldness of, 336 ; behaviour 

 of, after securing fish, 336 



, , the Tree, Dryophis mycterizans, 



338 ; suspicious character 

 of the teeth of, 338 



,, the Cobra, Naia tripudians, 



339 ; rare within the town 

 proper of Calcutta, 339 ; 

 very common in the suburbs, 

 339 ; trouble caused by, in 

 the Zoological Garden at 

 Alipur, 339 ; case in which 

 a keeper there was bitten 

 by one, 339; not aggressive, 

 343 ; vigilance and activity 

 of, 344 ; differences in dis- 



position of distinct varieties 

 of, 344 ; easily handled, 



344 ; sacks full of Cobras, 



345 ; danger of, to sporting 

 dogs, 347 ; much infested 

 by ticks, 349 ; behaviour of, 

 in striking, 349 ; Indian 

 mode of taking the venom 

 of, 349 ; average discharge 

 and lethal value of the 

 venom of, 350 



Snakes the Hamadryad, Naia bun- 

 garuSy 350 ; extremely rare 

 in the neighbourhood of 

 Calcutta, 350; not specially 

 fierce or aggressive in cap- 

 tivity, 351 ; cannibal be- 

 haviour of, 351 



,, the Krait, Bungarus cceruleus, 

 352 ; very rare in the lower 

 Gangetic delta, 353 ; possi- 

 bility of the occurrence of 

 imported specimens, 353 ; 

 Lycodon aulicus often mis- 

 taken for it, 334 



,, the banded Krait, Bungarus 

 fasciatus, 354 ; common in 

 the lower Gangetic delta, 

 354 ; as essentially ophio- 

 phagous as the Hamadryad, 

 354 ; venom of, poor in 

 quantity and quality, 354 

 ,, the Daboia, Vipera russellii, 

 355 ; habits of, 355 ; 

 symptoms following the 

 bites of, 356 ; caution with 

 which they are treated by 

 snake-charmers, 357 ; ready 

 method of showing the 

 essential differences between 

 the toxic principles of colu- 

 brine and viperine venoms, 

 358 



Snake-bird the Indian, or Darter, 

 Plotus melanogaster, 175 ; rarely 

 visits ponds in Calcutta, 175 ; colony 

 of in the Zoological Garden at Alipur, 

 176 



Snake-bite fallacies to be guarded 

 against in estimating the value of 

 evidence in cases of reputed cures of, 

 342 ; possibility of the superficial 



