SNAKES. 23 



b. Head ovate ^ rounded on the sides , crown entirely shielded : 

 nostrils hetween two plates; tail end simple; subcaudal 

 plates two-rowed. Sepedonina. 



7. Sepedon. Scales keeled ; loreal shields none ; one anterior and 

 three posterior ocular shields ; subcaudal shields two-rowed. 



c. Head depressed, shielded, prominent over the eyes ; nostrils 

 between tiuo shields ; tail ending in a recurved spine ; 

 subcaudal plates one-rowed. Acanthophina. 



8. AcANTHOPHis. Head-shield rather scale-like ; loreal none. 



I. Head dilated, depressed, covered ivith acutely keeled scales, rounded 



on the sides. 



a. Nostrils large, subsiiperior, anterior, in the centre of a ring-like 

 shield, edged with a large scale above. Clothonina. 



1. Daboia. 



Eyes convex, pupil round : head elongate ; scales regularly 

 keeled; nasal shield smooth in front; superciliary shield narrow, 

 elongate, distinct. India. 



Daboia, Gray, Zool. Misc. 69, 1842. Vipera, ^., Wagler, Syst. 

 177. 



1. The Katuka. Daboia elegans. Gray, Zool. Misc. 69. Ka- 

 tuka retuka poda, Russell, Ind. Serp. i. 10, t. 7. Coluber Russellii, 

 Shaw, Zool. iii. 418, L 108. Vipera elegans, Daud. Rept. vi. 124, 

 /. 73. Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 588, t. 21, /. 4, 5. Echidna elegans, 

 Merrem, Tent. 152. Coluber trinoculus, Schneid. in Bechst. Lacep. 

 iv. 248. Col. triseriatus, Herm. Obs. Z. i. 278. Tic polonga, Davy, 

 Ceylon, 85. Daboie, Lacep. Quad. Ovip. ii. 255, t. 13, /. 2. Vi- 

 pera Daboya, Daud. Rept. vi. 119. Wagler, Amph. 177. Echidna 

 Daboia, Merrem, Tent. 152. Coluber Brasiliensis, Lacep. Quad. 

 Ovip. ii. 119, t. 4,/. 2. Vipera brasiliana, Latr. Rept. iv. 7. Daud. 

 Rept. vi. 86. ? V. arenicola, A. Smith, Cat. Rept. 



Brown, with three rows of white-edged, oblong, brown spots; 

 two brown spots on each side of the occiput, separated by a narrow, 

 oblique, yellow, temporal streak. 



