62 
Elementary Manual of Zoology. 
shields. They have rudimentary hind limbs, which ter- 
minate in claw-like spurs on either side of the anus. 
The family does not contain any poisonous species. 
Students should examine the skin in the School Museum 
and sketch the arrangement of the shields upon the head, 
specially noticing the numerous loreal shields. 
(4) Colubride (Colubrine snakes).—This family comprises the 
bulk of the snakes to be found in India. Colubrine snakes 
have oval heads, but differ from the Pythons in having 
no recognisable rudiments of hind limbs, They may 
be classified as (1) harmless land colubrines, (2) poisonous 
land colubrines, (3) sea colubrines. 
(1) Harmless land colubrines—There are a great 
number of these snakes, many of them being 
extremely common, They possess numerous small 
teeth, but the anterior maxillary teeth are neither 
enlarged nor grooved. The great majority of 
the species have at least one loreal shield. The little 
green grass-snake (Dryophis) and the rat-snake 
(dhamin) may be taken as examples. Students 
should examine the school collection of harmless 
colubrine snakes, and sketch the teeth and the 
arrangement of the scales on the side of the head, 
specially noticing the loreal shield, 
(2) Poisonous land colubrines.—These snakes have 
the anterior maxillary teeth enlarged and grooved 
for injecting the poison fluid. Practically speak- 
ing, they never have a loreal shield. They 
include a number of deadly snakes, of which the 
most important are the cobra, the krait, the 
hamadryas, the raj samp or banded krait, and 
the Callophis and Adeniophis snakes, The stu- 
dents should examine the poisonous land colubrine 
snakes in the School Museum and be able to 
recognise the cobra, the krait, aud the hama- 
dryas. They should make a sketch of the teeth, 
also of the side of the head, to show the absence 
of the loreal shield, 
(3) Sea colubrines.—These snakes can be at once 
recoguised by their tail, which is flattened for 
swimming. They are said to be extremely 
poisonous, but, being exclusively sea creatures, are 
of little importance to the forester. 
