452 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



The colour, too, is very different. These points will 

 differentiate it from such snakes as Oercaspis carirmtus, 

 Lycodon striatus, and L. aulicus to which it bears a superficial 

 resemblance, the two former especially. 



Colouration. — Shining black dorsally, with from, 15 to 21 

 pure white bands round the body, and from 3 to 5 round the 

 tail. These bars involve about two scales in the length of the 

 snake vertebrally, and expand in the flanks, so that about four 

 ventral shields are involved at midbody. They are broadest 

 anteriorly and the first band may involve eight ventrals. 

 The belly in adults is alternately black and white, the black 

 intervals being broader than the A^hite. In young specimens 

 the belly is uniform white, and the posterior half of the head 

 is white, with some sparse mottling, but this band entirely 

 disappears with age. 



Habits. — (a) Haunts : Haly says that it has an unpleasant 

 habit of hiding itself amongst boxes in storerooms, stables, 

 and in such like places. If its tastes are similar to those of 

 its closest allies, one would expect it to take up quarters where 

 other snakes are likely to be abundant, such as old masonry 

 structures of every kind. Mr. Drunimond-Hay dug one out 

 of an ant-hill. 



(b) Disposition : llr. Green told me that a friend of his 

 produced a box which contained a living snake of this species, 

 which he had picked up, handled, and thei placed in the box 

 without being bitten. This singularly gentle spirit is quite in 

 accord with what is known of the common Indian krait B. 

 cseruleus. 



(c) Diurnal or Nocturnal : There appear to be no observa- 

 tions made on this point, but the few casualties reported 

 occurred at night. 



Food. — I have removed snakes from the stomachs of two. 

 One of these was a perfect Bhinophis drummondhayi , and the 

 second a partially digested snake, the caudal extremity 

 perfect, which also appeared to be a Bhinophis of the same 

 species. The former was 256 mm. (lOJ inches) long, lying 

 fully extended within the krait, which measured 495 mm. 

 (1 foot 7f inches) long. The stomach of a third contained 



