43 



Two kinds have yellow bellies. 

 Habitat — May occur in Burma and parts, of India, but 

 would seem to be rare in these places. 



Nothing is known about the poison of the coral 

 snakes. They are so small and the gape of 

 the mouth is so limited, that it is very doubt- 

 ful if they would do any harm to a man. 



SEA-SNAKES {HydrophiivcB]. 



A sea-snake can always be recognised by the 

 fact that the tail is compressed, i.e., flattened 

 out to form a vertical fin like that of an eel. 



The head is covered with large shields. 



Sea-snakes are reputed very deadly and the 

 poison of the commonest is eight times as 

 powerful as that of a cobra. 



GROUP IV. — Snakes with broad ventrals 



AND SCALY (nOT SHIELDED) HEADS. 



This group consists of the vipers and the vipers 



only. 

 There are two kinds of vipers, viz., the pit-vipers 



and the pitless vipers. 

 The former have a deep pit between the eye 



and the nostrils, called the loreal pit. No 



other snakes have this pit, so a pit-viper is 



easily recognised, 



The Pitless Vipers, 

 THE'SAW-'SC.^LED. VIPER {Eohis carinata). • 

 Length-^One to one and a half feet ; tail one-twelfth. 



Also called PAovrta,' Euppir and other local namet. 



