The genera and species belonging to these are so diverse, that we must confine ourselves to mentioning the essential characters of those that present most interest.
| I.—Family Colubridæ. | |
|---|---|
| Subfamily Elapinæ: Genera | |
| { (a) Bungarus. | |
| { (b) Naja. | |
| { (c) Hemibungarus. | |
| { (d) Callophis. | |
| { (e) Doliophis. | |
(a) Bungarus.
Head hardly distinct from the neck; eyes small, with round or vertically elliptic pupils; nostril between two nasal shields. Two large poison-fangs followed by one or two small, slightly grooved teeth ([fig. 23]). Scales smooth, oblique, in 13-17 rows, enlarged and hexagonal in shape on the vertebral column; ventral scales round. Tail relatively short; subcaudal scales in one or two rows.
Two very dangerous snakes found in India and Indo-China belong to this genus, B. fasciatus and B. candidus (var. cæruleus). Both are fairly common. In Ceylon B. ceylonicus is met with, and in South China B. candidus (var. multicinctus). The length of these snakes is from 1,000-1,500 millimetres. The back is compressed in the shape of a keel. The neck is not dilatable.
Fig. 23.—Skull of Bungarus. (After G. A. Boulenger, op. cit.)
1. B. fasciatus (Banded Krait).
Colour bright yellow, ringed with black, with a black band commencing between the eyes, and broadening behind upon the nape and neck ([fig. 24]).
Especially abundant on the Coromandel Coast, in Bengal, and in Burma. In the North-west Provinces of India it is known as the Koclia-Krait. Its bite is very serious, but does not cause nearly so many fatalities as that of the Cobra, since its fangs are smaller.