ECIIIS. 421 



Pale brown above, with three longitudinal series of black, light- 

 edged rings ; in some specimens, however, these elegant markings 

 are replaced by faint dark spots ; in the young, these black rings 

 encircle dark reddish-brown spots, and those of the vertebral 

 series are in contact with one another ; lower parts yellowish 

 white, uniform or with crescentic small black spots. 



Total length 4 feet ; tail 7 inches. 



Hob. India, Ceylon, Burma, and Siam. In the Himalayas this 

 viper reaches up to 5000 feet in the Kulu Valley, and up to 

 6000 feet in Cashmir. It is also recorded from Sumatra and Java, 

 but upon somewhat doubtful data. 



Vipera russellii is one of the most deadly snakes of India. It 

 is of sluggish habits and will frequently not move out of the way 

 on the approach of a man. 



521. Vipera lebetina. 



Coluber lebetinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 878 ; Forskal, Descr. Anim. 



p. 13. 

 Vipera lebetina, Daud. Rept. vi, p. 137 ; Jan, Icon. Ophid. 40, pi, vi, 



tig. 1. 

 Vipera obtusa, Dvriyubsky, Essay, Nat. Hist. Russ. Ernp. (Russian), 



1832, p. 30 ; Blanf. Zool. E. Pers. p. 428 ; id. 2nd Ynrk. Miss., 



Rept. p. 24. 



Vipera euphratica, Martin, P. Z. S. 1838, p. 82. 

 Echidna rnauritanica, Guichenot, Explor. So. Alg., Rept. p. 24, pi. iii. 



Snout obtuse ; nostrils large, between three shields ; rostral a 

 little broader than deep ; a narrow supraocular shield is present or 

 absent ; upper surface of head covered with small imbricate strongly 

 keeled scales, 9 to 12 across the forehead, from eye to eye ; three 

 or four series of scales between the eye and the labials ; three or four 

 scales in a line from the posterior nasal to the eye ; 10 to 12 upper 

 labials, fourth usually largest. Scales strongly keeled, in 23 to 

 27 rows. Ventrals 154-180 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 42-48. 

 Pale grey-brown above, with darker spots or cross bands, which 

 are distinct in the young, but feebly marked or absent in the adults ; 

 lower parts whitish, powdered with grey. 



Total length 5 feet. 



Nab. North Africa and South-western Asia, from Algeria and 

 Cyprus (also the Greek island Milo) to Northern Baluchistan 

 (Quetta), Afghanistan, and Kashmir. 



Genus ECHIS, 

 Mrrem, Tent. Syst. Arnph. p. 149, 1820. 



Upper surface of head covered with scales. Scales keeled, in 

 25 to 35 rows, the laterals disposed obliquely. Subcaudals in a 

 single row. 



Two species are known, the second, E. colorata, Gthr., inhabiting 

 Arabia and Palestine. 



