98 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 



unicolor^ but this can easily be distinguished by the parietal scales 

 being quite separated, and not in contact as in the hamadryad (see 

 Pa. fig. 8). 



Kraits — {Bungarus). 



There are at least six varieties of these poisonous snakes within our 

 limits, but as all these possess common characters by whioh they may 

 be separated from other snakes they had best be included together for 

 our purpose. 



Probably more confusion exists with regard to identifying kraits 

 than over anything else. The characters as usually assigned to them 

 by the general public, viz» (a) being small, and (h) killed in the 

 bungalow, I need hardly remark are insufficient ! In the first plaee^ 

 my longest common Indian krait (Bungarus cmruleus) was four 

 feet two inches, and I have seen a skin measuring four feet six and- 

 a-half inches, but though specimens approaching these lengths are 

 not often met with, three feet; and over is a common length. Almost 

 any snake may come into the house at times, including tree snakes 

 and water snakes. 



The points which separate these snakes from everything else are 

 the following : — 



1. A row of enlarged, hexagonal scales down the middle of the 

 back (see fig. 10). 



2. * A single anal scale (see An. fig. 11, and compare with 



fig. 12). 



3. t A round pupil (see figs. 1, 2 and 3, and compare with 

 figs. 4 and 7.) 



All these three things must co-exist in the same specimen. 



Many are aware of the hexagonal row of median back scales 

 (vertebrals) and still go wrong in their conclusions because they lose 

 sight of the fact that these must be distinctly enlarged as compared 

 with their adjacent back scales as well as being hexagonal. If this 



- This scale, lying in front of the anus or vent, denotes the boundary 

 between the body and the tail. 



t In certain snakes notably " Bungares cferuleus " and "Lycodon aulicus ", 

 the iris is as black as the pupil and hence the shape of the pupil cannot be 

 discerned. Where this is the case the head should be immersed in any 

 alcoholic solution for an hour or two. This renders the lens opalescent and 

 the shape of the pupil is then readily discovered. 



