JOURNAL OF THE BOMBAY luteal pistorg Stazitty. Vol. XVIII. BOMBAY. f\i . 4 A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. Illustrated by Coloured Plates and Diagrams. by Major F. Wall, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. Part VIII with Plate VIII and Diagram 1. (Continued from page 554 of this Volume.) The genus Bungarus as considered by Professor Boulenger in his Catalogue* includes but six species. Since the publication of this work he has added another to the list entitled sindanus, and I have added one to which I attached my own name. I have for a long time tacitly dissented from Mr. Boulenger's views with re sard to the forms he describes under the name candidus, believing that under that title at least three well marked species are included. To two of these he has conceded the minor rank of " variety " under the names cceruleus and mvlticbictvs. Another very distinct form is that to which Evans and I applied the name magnimaculatv sf and recorded as a variety of cccrxdeus. Now all of these forms are very distinctive in colour and markings, are not connected by intermediate forms, inhabit very definite geogra-phical areas, and show differences in lepidosis, so that 1 feel there is every justification for each being recognised as a distinct' species. My recent collections in Assam and Darjeeling have further revealed to me the occurrence of two distinct kinds of black krait which hitherto have been included under the title lividus. * Snakes in the British Museum, 1893 to 1896. + Journal, Bombay Natural History Society, Vol. XIII., p. 611.
BioStor
