SNAKES 101 



chapter. Here let it suffice to state that, when an 

 animal which is not protected by some special means 

 of defence imitates the colours and form of some 

 other species that is so protected, the imitating species 

 is termed a mimic, and the assumption is that the 

 mimic thereby acquires a certain amount of immunity 

 from attack, since its enemies are deceived by the 

 resemblance to an animal which experience has taught 

 them to avoid. The best examples of mimicry amongst 

 snakes are furnished by some harmless South American 

 species which imitate very closely in their colouring 

 certain poisonous species ; but instances are not lacking 

 amongst Oriental snakes. The Indian Viper Echis cari- 

 nata is apparently mimicked by one of the Opistho- 

 glyphous Colubridce Dipsadomorphus trigonatus, 1 though 

 it is possible that a large part of the resemblance is 

 due to the fact that both species are coloured in 

 harmony with the desert surroundings in which they 

 occur. A better example of true mimicry is furnished 

 by Chersydrus granulatus, one of the Acrochordince, an 

 aquatic sub-family belonging, as already pointed out, 

 to the harmless section of the Colubridce ; this species 

 in its young stages is conspicuously banded with 

 black and white, and is remarkably like several of the 

 poisonous Sea-Snakes proper (Hydrophiince). They are 



1 Dipsadomorphus dendrophilus seems to be a close mimic of 

 Bungarus fasciatus. Both snakes have exactly the same colouring, 

 black with yellow bands, and live coiled up on branches of trees 

 in the mangrove swamps or over rivers. At a little distance it is 

 impossible to distinguish them apart. Bungarus fasciatus is a very 

 vicious poisonous snake. Dipsadomorphus when caught has a 

 habit of ejecting from the anus a large quantity of very foul- 

 smelling brown liquid by way of a defence (Journ. Roy. As. Soc. 

 S. Br., No. 32 (1899), p. 199). H. N. R. 



