792 



A NEW PIT VIPER OF THE GENUS ANCISTRODON. 



BY 



Major F. Wall, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. 



Ancistrodon millardi. 



Under the title Ancistrodon hypnale Professor Boulenger * ap- 

 pears to me to have mixed up two very definite forms each of which 

 I consider is entitled to rank as a distinct species. 



I am very familiar with a form which is common in the Hills of 

 Ceylon, having examined no less than 41 specimens from Hakgalla 

 (5,600 feet). 



This form is characterised by a very pronounced appendage on the 

 snout which is covered with minute scales (8-12). It has the supra- 

 oculars relatively small, these being about three-fourths to four-fifths 

 the length of the parietals, and as broad as the frontal along a line 

 connecting the centres of the eyes. Again the ventrals are fewer 

 (116 to 131) and so are the subcaudals (24 to 37) than in the other 

 form. 



Now I have lately received through Mr. Millard a specimen from 

 Castle Rock which attracted my attention in possessing a slight boss, 

 not an appendage on the snout, covered with scales similar in size to 

 those elsewhere on the snout (4 to 6). Further the supraoculars are 

 unusually developed being as long as or longer than the parietals, 

 and broader by one-third than the frontal, along a line connecting 

 the centres of the eyes. The ventrals and subcaudals are in excess 

 of the common Ceylon Hill form viz., 151 + 36 (tail imperfect). 

 Since this Mr. Millard has submitted to me 4 more examples from 

 Carwar agreeing in every way with the Castle Rock specimen. A 

 study of the British Museum specimens as given in Professor 

 Boulenger's Catalogue (I have not examined them) supports the view 

 that under hypnale he is dealing with two distinct forms for there 

 appear to be two distinct ranges of ventrals and subcaudals, and in his 

 description he says " snout more or less turned up." I append his 

 figures, and mine in tabular form for easy reference. 



Catalogue Vol. Ill, p. 528. 



