MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 28i 



No. XLIV— DO SNAKES SWALLOW STONES ? 

 The other day, while examining the insides of a large Tropidonotiis pis- 

 catov, I found a solid piece of mortar, measuring about an inch by three- 

 quarters and half an inch in thickness. It would appear that snakes like 

 crocodiles and birds swallow stones to aid their digestion. I would like to 

 know if other members have noticed similar incidents. 



E. A. D'ABREU, f.z.s. 

 Nagpub, C. p., 27th August 1911. 



No. XLV.— REMARKS ON THE GREATER, AND LESSER 

 BLACK KRAITS {BUNGARUS NIGER, 

 AND B. LiriDUS). 



Having just received two specimens of that uncommon and local Krait 

 B. lividus from Mr. D. A. Jacob, i.r.s., from Jalpaiguri District, I think 

 some remarks on this species and its near ally B. niyer may be of interest. 

 The lesser black Krait {lividus) was described originally from Assam by Dr. 

 Cantor in 1839, but its validity as a species was doubted and Dr. Gunther 

 in 1864 merely conceded to it the rank of a variety of our common Krait 

 (coeruleus). Later, however, in 1890 Mr. Boulenger restored to it its lost 

 dignity as a species, and I think most herpetologists will agree with his view. 



Until last year it was confused with another very similar Krait which I 

 described in this Journal* as a distinct species under the name B. niger. 



The two, though inhabiting the same restricted area, are easilj^ known 

 from one| another by the development of the vertebral row and the ranges 

 of their respective ventral and subcaudal shields. 



In lindus the breadth of the vertebrals does not exceed their length, and 

 in this it differs from all the other Kraits up to date described. Those 

 shields appear longer than broad, but if accurate measurements are taken 

 they will be found usually to be as broad as long. I believe it is a decidedly 

 smaller snake than niger. It is poorly represented in our Museums, there 

 being but four in the British Museum ; none in either the Indian 

 Museum nor our Society's Collection. 



Both snakes are vmiformly black dorsally, with a greyish or bluish sheen 

 in certain lights. In the young of both there is no prreocular white spot, 

 nor blotches of white on the occiput as is usual, if not always the case, in 

 the common Krait (cceruleus). The belly is alike in both being white for 

 a variable length in front, later becoming mottled with dark plumbeous 

 •especially in the bases of the ventral and subcaudal shields. 



I have now examined 12 specimens of lividus, and the details of these are 

 shown in tabular form for easy reference, and comparison with 19 speci- 

 mens of niger I have examined. 



* Vol. XIX, p. 838. 

 36 



