THE SNAKES 307 



gerously well-aimed at the observer. As the snake rears 

 upward to fight, it oj)ens the mouth shghtly, contracts 

 the lower jaw, thence closes the jaws in a fashion that 

 leaves the fangs uncovered — overlapping the lower j aw. 

 At a movement of the adversary the snake instantly 

 arches the neck, a movement momentarily throwing the 

 head backward and bringing the fang tips to bear. 

 Simultaneously the muscles over the poison glands are 

 contracted and a thin stream of venom leaves each fang. 

 The aim is formidably accurate and one is liable to 

 receive the deadly spray directly in the eyes. The 

 amount of poison expended is surprising; the writer has 

 seen the entire lower portion of a large panel of glass 

 peppered with tiny drops after an enraged Ringhals 

 had been rearing for but a few minutes' time. When 

 transferring or in any way handhng snakes of the kind, 

 the author wears a large pair of auto goggles to protect 

 his eyes. In procuring the photograph which shows a 

 fine Ringhals in characteristic striking position, the front 

 of the camera was well spattered with poison and the 

 lens necessarilj^ protected with a plain glass cap until 

 the moment of exposure. 



Closely allied to the genera containing the hooded 

 snakes is Bungarus, with several species in southeastern 

 Asia and the Malay Archipelago. Most familiar is the 

 dreaded Keait, B. ccei'uleus, a common Indian reptile 

 attaining a length of four feet. It is alleged to cause 

 a terrible loss of human life. Like all the species of 

 BungaruSj its scales are smooth. A strong character- 

 istic is the prominent backbone and much-enlarged cen- 

 tral row of scales. It does not spread a hood. The 

 color is purplish black or dark brown, with yellow cross- 

 bands — the latter sometimes broken into spots; the ab- 

 domen is immaculate white. 



