.>78 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL RLST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI. 



Sub-Family Crotalin^. 



Millard's Hump-nosed Viper. — Ancistrodon millardi (Wall). 



Eleven specimens of this species described by me in this Journal in 

 1908 (Vol. XVIII, page 792) were sent in, all from Pilloor Estate. 



Sexes. — Of 6 sexed, 4 were S and 2 5 • 



Food. — A lizard had been swallowed in two instances, one juvenile 

 specimen of (6\ inches length having taken a Charnsia dorsalis. One adult 

 contained a mouse, and in another a wad of hair was protruding from the 

 cloaca. 



Growth. — My smallest was a S i^-) 6j inches long in July. My largest cT 

 was 15^, and 2 15 inches. 



Lepidosis. — The head shielding is wonderfully consistent. The frontal is 

 invariably disintegrated with 3 small scale-like parts anteriorly, and one 

 large entire part posteriorly. The boss <in the snout is slight, and has few 

 small scales upon it (4 or 6). The 2nd labial does not enter the loreal pit 

 in any specimen. The ventrals in the c^ were 40 to 43, and in the 2 30 

 to 34. 



Dentition. — The maxilla holds 2 fangs. The palatine teeth number 4 

 (dubiously 3 in one specimen), the pterygoid 13 to 16, and the mandible 

 1 () to 19. 



The Horseshoe Pit Viper. — Lachesis stviyata (Gray). 



The total for this species was 48. I think it occurs at an altitude only 

 above 5,000 feet and one specimen obtained at Avalanche was killed at a 

 height estimated at about 7,000 feet. 



Sexes. — ^Of 37 sexed, 17 were cJ , and 20 2 . 



Food. — Those that had recently fed were found to have swallowed mice 

 and frogs. Once a snake had been devoured. Adults seem to favour a 

 murine diet, five having eaten mice, and another contained a mass of hair. 

 One had eaten an Ixalus. A half grown example had eaten some species 

 of frog. Two young ones had fed on species of Lvalus, and one other 8^ 

 inches long had made a meal of a snake of the species Fleet rwus per roteti. 



Breeding. — No single 2 showed any enlargement of the ovarian follicles. 

 The season for the appearance of the young judging from its congener 

 anamallensis will probably prove to be the early months of the year. 



Growth. — Five specimens between 7\ and 8f inches long in August and 

 September, I take to be the fruits of last year's mating produced early this 

 year. Adults usually attain a length of from 14 to 16 inches. I received 

 one 18 inches long, one 2 18, and two 2 19 inches long. 



Lepidosis. — The costal rows were always 21 to a point well behind mid- 

 body, and reduced to 17 at a point two heads-lengths before the anus. 

 The ventrals in the J were 137 to 141, and in the 2 137 to 142. The sub- 

 caudals in the J were 36 to 42, and in the 2 32 to 35. In one the 3rd 

 Hubcaudal was entire. 



Dentition.— Th.e maxilla has a pair of fangs. The palatine teeth number 

 5 or 6, the pterygoid 10, and the mandible 12. 



The Green Pit Viper. — Lachesis f/raminea (Shaw). 



I acquired 22 of this common species, the majority (17) coming from the 

 Wynaad. 



Sexes. — Of those sexed, 7 were S and 6 2 • 



Colour. — With reference to what has been said about the verdant-green 

 colouration of Dryophis mycterizans I find that in this species also there is 

 a yellow pigment overlying the blue beneath. Under a lens I can see no 



