51 



The real difficulty lies in recognising the numerous 

 snakes included in " Group III, Sub-Group A — Harmless." 



To search through all these, even in this little book, from 

 which all but the common ones have bfeen eliminated is a 

 wearying task, so I have devised the following key, based 

 on the number of scales possessed by a snake. In most 

 snakes, though not in all, this number is a constant feature. 

 A reference to Chapter V will enable the reader to distinguish 

 between snakes having the same number of scales, and to make 

 this easier, I have added a few other distinguishing points in 

 the key. 



If, in spite of this key, the snake cannot be identified the 

 only thing left is to go carefully through the descriptions of 

 the whole lot, as the specimen may be one with an abnormal 

 number of scales. If, even then, it is not found it is not 

 a common snake ; but the ordinary reader, for whom this 

 book is meant, is very unlikely to meet with uncommon snakes. 

 They are generally only found by the naturalist or zoologist 

 who makes special and systematic search for them and to 

 whom this book would be of no use or interest. 



Remember, although the colour is of the greatest use in 

 finally identifying the specimen, never to go for the colour 

 first and never rely on the colour alone. 



KEY TO THE SNAKES IN GROUP III, 



SUB-GROUP A. {Harmless snakes with 



shielded heads and broad ventrals ) 



Scales 15 — 



1. The Blunt headed Snake {Amhlycephalus man- 

 ticola). 

 Vertebrals enlarged. No menta-l groove 



Page 17 



