GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 257 



It is a notoriously fierce and aggressive snake. Its colour 

 varies from dull yellow to bluish-black, uniform or cross- 

 banded. It is fairly common, chiefly in jungle tracts, in 

 India and the countries to the east, and in the Malay 

 Archipelago, but it is not met with in dwellings. It may 

 attain a length of about 14 ft., and individuals 12 ft. long 

 are not at all rare. Its venom is of equal potency with 

 cobra-venom, and has the same neurotoxic action, 

 especially on the respiratory centre, but it has hardly 

 any effect on the blood. According to Rogers, Calmette's 

 antivenom has a distinct retarding effect upon this venom. 

 (6) Bungarus. The species of this genus, known as 

 Kraits, number about half a dozen, and are restricted 

 to Asia. They can be recognized by the row of enlarged 

 scales of the mid-dorsal line, and by their small poison- 

 fangs. The two commonest species are Bungarus can- 

 didus (=cceruleus) and Bungarus fasciatus. (i) B. candldus 

 or cceruleus, the common krait, is a slender snake, usually 

 between 2 and 3 ft. long, but occasionally attaining a 

 length of 4 ft. Its colour varies from bluish-black to 

 purplish-brown, and the body is generally marked with 

 narrow white rings, entire or broken ; there is sometimes 

 a series of large white spots along the mid-dorsal line. 

 The common krait is found all over Southern Asia, east 

 of Baluchistan, and in the Malay Archipelago. It is very 

 often met with in gardens and dwellings, but is shy and 

 timid. Its venom seems, except that it has less haemolytic 

 action, to be identical in action with cobra-venom, but is 

 estimated to be about four times as virulent. (2) B. 

 fasciatus, the banded krait, is distinguished by its sharply 

 ridged back, and short, blunt tail. It is conspicuously 

 coloured in broad alternating cross-bands of bright yellow 

 and blue-black. It is a stoutish snake, and may attain a 

 length of 5 ft. or more. Its geographical range is the 

 same as that of the common krait, and it also gets into 

 houses. According to Leonard Rogers, its poison acts 

 like that of the cobra, but less powerfully, and also con- 

 tains, like that of some of the Australian Elapines, a 



