178 JOURNAL, NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY OF SLAM Vol. I. 



it. Perhaps like the ostrich of fable, with its head concealed, it 

 thinks itself entirel}^ hidden from view. If provoked with a stick it 

 will give a convulsive jerk or two, and hide its head again beneath 

 some other part of the body. If left undisturbed, it will remain in 

 this position for a long time. The photograph was taken the day 

 after the snake had been caught, and although it gives no idea of the 

 brilliant contrasts in colouring, shows very clearl}^ the strong verte- 

 bral prominence, and the blunt, enlarged ending to the tail wliich is 

 characteristic of this snake. 



The Banded Krait feeds almost entirely upon other snnkes. 



TjeiKjth. This snake grows to a great size in Bangkok. I 

 have seen seven specimens over 6 feet in lengtli. One of the largest 

 ever recorded was mentioned previously in this Joiirnal (No. 1, No]. I, 

 p. 58), and I have since seen another aluiost as long. It was killed at 

 Klong Hangsit and measured 1955 mm. in length. 



roisou. No authentic case of a bite from this snake in man 

 has yet been recorded, but the j)oison appears from experimental 

 evidence to be considerably less toxic than Cobra venom, and is 

 possibl3^ not fatal to human beings. 



Color. The coloration of the Banded Krait is so distinctive 

 that it is quite impossible to mistake it for an}' other snake in 

 Bangkok, It is commonl}^ described as being marked with alternate 

 broad bands of black ond j^ellow, which completel}^ encircle the body. 

 In the majorit}' of Bangkok specimens, however, except in very large 

 ones, this yellow color is buffer dirty buff above, pale yellow below, 

 the two shades meeting with a distinct line of demarcation at the 

 costo-ventral junction. These j^ellow bands number from 17 to 23 on the 

 bod}' and from 8 to 4 on the tail. Maiij^ Siamese specimens have in 

 addition a variable patch of black npon the belly in some of the 

 ventral bands. Wall mentions this as occurring in a specimen which 

 lie examined in Hongkong, but it does not appear to occur elsewhere. 

 There is a black mark upon the top of the head, beginning betsveen the 

 eyes and widening and extending backwards into a saddle-shaped 

 mark upon the neck. The blunt and enlarged tip to the tail which is 

 characteristic of this snake in adult life, 1 have not found in the 

 young. The whole snake has a fine polished appearance. 



Distrihiition. India, Burma, and South China to the Malay 

 Archipelago, 



