ON SERPENT-WORSHIP AND VENOMOUS SNAKES. 99 



debris of wood and buildings. It insinuates itself into houses, 

 into the bath-rooms, verandahs, on the ledges of doors, in 

 book-cases and cupboards: in such situations it not in- 

 frequently causes fatal accidents. Lycodon milieus is some- 

 times mistaken for it, but the least examination detects the 

 difference. The scales along the dorsal region are hexagonal 

 and very characteristic. The krait rarely attains the length 

 of four feet. 



Bungurus fasciatus, is larger than coendeus, and is beautifully 

 marked with rings of yellow on a dark steel-blue ground. 

 The metallic lustre of the skin is very beautiful ; its body is 

 of a triangular shape, and it has hexagonal scales along the 

 dorsal ridge. It is tolerably common in Bengal, Burmah, and 

 Southern India, and is known in the north-west. It is found 

 in the open country, in grass, in low jungle, and in the fields 

 in holes in the ground, sometimes deep down among the roots 

 of trees ; it sometimes finds its way into a native hut. It 

 feeds, like the krait, on small animals, mice, birds, frogs, 

 lizards, probably on small snakes, and even insects. It is 

 not very aggressive, but when attacked, retaliates fiercely. 

 It lies coiled up, and when disturbed, jerks itself out like a 

 spring, but does not extend its whole length of body. 



Kenurelaps has only one species, which is closely allied to 

 Bungarus. It is very rare, and consequently not destructive 

 to human life. 



The genus Callophis has several species in different parts 

 of India, which are all more or less brilliantly coloured. They 

 are not aggressive, and bite reluctantly, so it is sufficient to 

 euumerate some of the species : Callophis intestinalis, C. Mac- 

 lellandi, C. anularis, C. trimaculatus, C. nigrescens, C. cevasinus, 

 and probably others. 



The viperiform sub-order has two families, Viperidw,. or 

 vipers, and Crotalidae, or pit-vipers. The former is represented 

 in India by two genera, Daboia and Ecfais, each of which has 

 one Indian species, viz., Daboia Rmsellii and Echis carinata 

 or kuppur. Crotalidae has several genera ; Trimeresurus, with 

 seven species ; Peltopelor, one species ; Hah/s, two species ; 

 Ilijpnale, one species. These snakes are all venomous, but 

 cause few deaths. 



The Daboia Russellii, sometimes called cobra-monil and 

 chain viper, is a very beautiful snake ; it is of a light 

 chocolate colour, with large, black, white-edged rings; a 

 yellow line is on each side of the upper surface of the head, 

 converging on the snout : rostral and labial shields yellow 



