POISONOUS AND NON-POISONOUS SNAKES. 



101 



6 3 . Large scales on head (as in fig. 8.) 

 a^. 3 scales or more in a hori- 

 zontal direction between eye 

 and nostril {see figs. 3, 4 and 

 5). Includes a host of 

 the commonest varieties 

 and constitutes one of the 

 most important rules. Excep' 

 tion 1, which for all practical 

 purposes may be ignored, viz., 

 Azemeops je(R. Only one 

 specimen has hitherto been 

 recorded, and that from the 

 Kachin Hills, Upper Burma.. Harmless, 

 b'^. Only two scales between the 

 eye and the nostril (as in 



figs. 1 and 2) ,.. 



a-^ . Inter-nasals in contact with 

 prse-oculars (as in fig. 1). 

 a^. Scales 13. — Count the 

 rows of scales from one 

 side of the ventrals 

 over the back to the 

 other side in the mid- 

 dle of the body, i.e., 

 exclusive of tail (as 

 shown in fig. 10.) ... IJannless. 

 6®. Scales 19-23 (separates 



the cobra),...,. ,^ Poisonoas. 



¥\ Vertebral row of scales en- 

 larged and hexagonal, 

 {see fig. 10), and 

 round pupil {see fig. 1) 

 includes the Kraits 

 {Bungarus)f 6 varieties Poisonous, 

 c'^. Two large scales in con- 

 tact behind the parie- 

 tals, and parietals also 



