Page:The poisonous snakes of India. For the use of the officials and others residing in the Indian Empire (IA poisonoussnakeso01ewar).pdf/38

 18 BUNGARUS.

Bungarus fasciatus.

This species is the "Sankni," or "Bungarum Pamah" of the Coromandel Coast (Russell). "Rajsamp" of some natives. It varies in size from four to six or eight feet. Günther describes it as follows:-" The first temporal shield is scarcely larger than high ventrals 200-233; sub-caudals, 32-36. Body with alternate broad black and yellowish rings, extending across the belly; there are from twenty-five to thirty-three of these black rings round the trunk; the first is the broadest, and produced into a triangular process, the point of which rests on the vertical shield. Head black anteriorly and on the sides separated from the triangular process by a yellow V-like mark. Lower parts and throat uniform yellow." The trigonal shape of its body with sharp dorsal ridge and declining sides are noted by Russell. « The hexagonal vertebral shield, and hard, blunt, and almost bony end of tail, are very strongly marked."

"The Bunyarus fasciatus," says Sir Joseph Fayrer, “is tolerably common in Bengal and in Southern India, as well as Burmah, and it is also known in the North-West, where it is sometimes called Koclia Krait.' Its bite is very dangerous, but the police returns do not show that it causes many deatlis; probably because it is not so much in the way of being met with as the cobra or krait. Its fangs are relatively to those of the cobra very small, and its bite in dogs causes death much slower than the cobra's bite. It is much less valued by the snake-men than the cobra, as it does not crect its head, nor is it amenable to their tuition. Dog's bitten by Bungarus fasciatus died at various periods from four hours twenty-eight minutes to ten days."