THE VENOM 



247 



Schlegel., the king cobra, or hamadryad, is not so common, but is 

 feared because of its size, and because it is said to attack people. 

 N. haje L. is Cleopatra's asp, and is well known as a resident of 

 Egypt and North Africa. N. regalis Schl., is found on the Gold 

 Coast. N. nigricolUs Reinhart is found on the Gold Coast and in 

 Sierra Leone. 



Fig. 34. — Naja tripudians Merrem, 1781. The Cobra. 

 Note the pair of spectacles on the hood. 



The kraits are also included in this family, and are: — Bungarus 

 candidus L., the true krait, and B. fasctatus Schn., the banded 

 krait, with yellow and black bands, both of which are common in 



Fig. 35. — Side View of the Head of the Cobra. 



India, while B. ceylonicus Gthr, is the carawalla of Ceylon. The 

 Elapinae are the only poisonous snakes of Australia, and include 

 Notechis scutatus Ptrs. and N. pseudechis, and Acanthophis ant- 

 arcticus Shaw, the death adder, recognized by the spines on its tail. 



