422 VlPEKIDiE. 



522. Echis carinata. 



liiisscU, hid, Serj). i, pi. ii ; Gcoffj-. Dcscr. Ec/ypfc, pi. vii, fijj. 1. 



rsfiidoboa carinata, Schneid. Jlist. A))ij)/t. ii, p. 286. 



Echiy caiiuata, Men-, lent. p. 149; Dum. ^" Bibr. Erp. Ocn. vii, 



p. 1448, pi. l.xxxi bis, fig. 3 ; Giinth. Itept. B. I. p. 397 ; Fayrcr, 



Thanatoph. pi. xii : Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 19G ; Blanf. Zool. E. 



Pcrs. p. 4.30; T/wob. Cat. p. 218: Blanf. J. A. S. B. x'lviii, 1870, 



pt. 2, p. IIG ; Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 388, pi. — . 

 Echis arenicola, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 558. 



Head distinct from neck ; t^nout very short and rounded ; nostril 

 betwfeu tliree shields ; head covered uith small keeled scales, 

 amojjg which an enlarged supraocular is sometimes present ; 10 to 

 15 scales across the forehead, from eye to eye ; two series of scales 

 between the eye and the labials ; 11 or 12 upper labials, fourth 

 usually largest. Scales strongly keeled, the keel on the lateral 

 scales serrated, saw-like ; 25 to 29 scales round the anterior ])art 

 of the body, 29 to 35 round the middle. Ventrals 138-185; anal 



Fig. 124.— Scales oi Echis carinata. 



(entire ; subcaudals 21-40. Pale buff, greyish, reddish, or jiale 

 brown above, with three series of whitish spots edged with dark 

 brown ; a zigzag dark brown band may run aloug each side ; a 

 cruciform or /k-shaped, whitish, dark-edged marking on the head ; 

 lower parts whitish, uniform or with brown dots. 



Total length 2 feet ; tail 2-5 inches. 



Hah. The desert sandy districts of North Africa, South-Westeru 

 Asia, and India. Blanford records the exceptional occurrence of 

 this species between Dumagudem and Ellore, in thin forest, the 

 soil of which is, however, very sandy. It appears to be found, 

 though rarely, in South-western Bengal, but it is commou in the 

 North-west Provinces, the Central Provinces, the Punjab, Sind, and 

 Culch; and it occiu-s as far south as the Carnatic. it is also said 

 to be common in parts of the Concan, south of Bombay. This 

 small viper is very fierce and aggressi\'e, and Sir J. Fayrer's 

 experiments ha\e shown its ])oison to be Aoiy active, killing a fowl 

 in about two minutes, and a dog in about four hours. 



