38 



black and white spots; this disappears with 



age. 

 Throat : white, mottled ; < mark on head. 

 Belly and sides yellow with a median and two 



lateral rows of brown mottling or lines. 

 Habitat — Assam, Burma. 



SUB-GROUP B.— Poisonous. 



THE COMMON INDIAN KEAIT (Bungarua caeruleus, 

 B. arcuatua). 



Length— May grow to four feet. Usually between two 



and three feet, tail one-eighth. 



Shape — Head : small ; not very distinct. 



Body : moderately stout. 



Tail : short, rather tapering. 



Eye : small with black iris, so that the round 



pupil cannot be seen. 



Teeth : a short poison-fang. 



Head shields.— The nasal touches the first and second 



supra-labials, but never the third. 



Lo'real absent. 



Temporal, a single shield touching fifth and sixth 



supra-labials. Supra-labials 7 (3 and 4). 



Posterior sublinguals touch fourth infra-labial. 



Mfl^labials 4, the fourth the largest * and 



touches only 2 scales behind. (Fig. 10.) 



Scales— \b, smooth. Vertebral row distinctly enlarged * 



and hexagonal. (Fig 7.) 

 Ventrals — 201 to 221; anal entire. Sub-caudals 38 — 56, 



entire 



■ Tbese two oharaoterisMcB distinguiBh kraits from all other snaket. 



