SNAKES 165 



small, rounded, and not at all distinct from the neck ; 

 the eye is likewise small, and with a round pupil. 



In spite of their small size, very few attaining a length 

 of more than three feet, these snakes have a very highly 

 developed poison apparatus, and their bite has on many 

 occasions produced fatal results. 



The Harlequin Snake or Coral Snake, E. fulvius, so 

 called from the fact that its body is annulated black and 

 red, or black, yellow, and red, has a wide distribution, 

 occurring in Eastern North America, Mexico, and Central 

 America. According to Dr. Loennberg, in Florida the 

 Coral Snake is perhaps the most dangerous snake, as, 

 although quite as poisonous as the large rattlesnakes and 

 moccasins, it is generally regarded as harmless, being, in 

 consequence, caught and often roughly handled, with the 

 result that the snake bites, and human life is endangered. 

 The majority of snakes, when biting, throw the head 

 forward, bite, and immediately withdraw, but the Coral 

 Snake, after having bitten, hangs on like a bull-dog, and 

 has to be pulled away from the wound. E. fulvius lives 

 in damp localities, and is somewhat of a burrower, being 

 frequently met with when the ground is dug up. It feeds 

 on cold-blooded animals — lizards, frogs, and small snakes. 

 The semi-nocturnal snakes known as Kraits, which 

 make up the genus Bungarus, all inhabit South-Eastern 

 Asia. The body and tail are rather short, and often with 

 a dorsal keel ; the head, which is indistinct from the neck, 

 is small, with the snout obtusely rounded ; the scales are 

 smooth, enlarged and hexagonal in shape on the vertebral 

 line. Although the fangs are comparatively small, the 

 poison glands are as well developed as in the cobras. 



