1002 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



banded with darker rings which are broader than the interspaces. The first 

 band is below the neck, and this and the second are black, the third blackish 

 brown, and the succeeding ones pix)gressively lighter in colour, but remain 

 apparent to the vent. On the belly, however, the hinder ones become less 

 apparent, and are lost before the vent. There is no suspicion of any marks 

 on the hood. I can find no differences in the lepidosis of this compared with 

 variety typica, except in the scale rows. These, however, are very singular, 

 numbering 19 at a point two heads-lengths behind the head, 19 at midbody, 

 and 15 at a point two heads-lengths before the vent.* The ventrals numbei 

 195. and the subcaudals 69. I append a figure. 



F. WALL, C.M.Z.S., Major, i.m.s. 

 Chitral, Ibth October 1909. 



No. XXIX.— THE SNAKES OF KASHMIR. 



During several visits to Kashmir I only came across four different kinds 

 of snakes ; two poisonous and two harmless. Of the latter, one was the ordi- 

 nary Dhaman or Rat Snake {Ptyas mucosus). The natives I questioned 

 in the matter, called it simply samp, i.e., " snake " : it seemed to have no 

 other local name. I saw no very large ones, and they struck me as being 

 of a somewhat darker colour than those I had seen in India. They were 

 fairly common in the main Valley. The other non poisonous snake I have 

 not as yet been able to identify, but as I have a bottled specimen I hope to 

 do so in a short time. I may merely state here that the snake is of slender 

 make, about 18 inches in length and of a general ashy brown colour. I only 

 found it in the Siddar Valley, above Pahlgam at an elevation of about 8,0i)0' to 

 9,0 )0'. My natives could give it no local name. 



The two venomous snakes were locally known as the Pohur and the Gunas 

 respectively. 



The Pohur is the common Himalayan viper, And>-troclon himolai/anm 

 described by VI ajor Wall, I.M.S,, on pages 34 and 35 of his book on the Poisonous 

 Terrestrial Snakes of India, and mentioned by Lawrence on page 55 of his 



• This specimen proves to be an exceptional one, for since writinjr the above I have 

 acquired 9 more, in all of which the scale rows are 21. Further in adult specimens all 

 the bands are brown, and seem to grow less distinct with age. I have also examined 

 two specimens of this variety in our Society's Collection, one from Aden, the other 

 from Paracbinar (N. W. Fmnlier). They constitute a variety of Boulenger's Cceca, and 

 the young agree with a specimen figured by Eichwald (Faun Casp-Cauc. Plate XX> 

 under the name Tomyris ax'tana. — F. W. 



