THE POISONOUS SNAKES OP INDIA. 



23 



Supplementary characters. — The 2nd supralabial decidedly nar- 

 rower than the 1st and 3rd, ventrals 192 to 207. 



Bistrihttion.— The Ganges basin (Fyzabad, Gaya, Midnapore, 

 Purneah). 



Bimensions. — The largest record I know is 4 feet 11| inches. 



CoZottr.— :*Iercurial-black with equidistant white bars formed of 

 roundish spots. These are not arranged in pairs as in cmruleus, and 

 sindanus. The tail is more or less sullied with plumbeous beneath, 

 especially towards the tip, unlike cmruleus, and sindanus. 



GROUP 3.— COBRAS AND CORAL SNAKES.* 



Identification.— (1) Tail round. (2) The 3rd supralabial shield 

 touches the nasal, and the eye (see fig. 12).f 



Po. Hi, 



'^ig. 12. — ^Naia tripudians (XlJ). 



This second feature alone separates the members of this group 

 from all other snakes (see footnote, page 6). The group comprises 

 4 genera, and includes 9 species. 



* The name coral snake is applied to a South American poisonous species. Elap- 

 corallinus. I use the title here for those snakes which are allied to the above and 

 to -which I think the term singularly appropriate, since most of them have bellies 

 adorned with a most beautiful cplouring resembling pink coral. This, however, 

 disappears after a day or two's immersion in spirit. 



1 1 am only aware of one harmless snake in which the 3rd supralabial touohe 

 the nasal shield, viz., Xenopeltis unicolor, and in this case it fails to touch the 

 eye. (.See fig. 13.) 



