314 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI, 



advantage when the hood was erect. There were from 2 to 3> 

 blackish-plumbeous ventral bands anteriorly. The eye was very black, 

 the pupil in some specimens scarcely visible, and in others indicated 

 only by a small arc of the iris being golden. 



The only female was pregnant on 12th February with 16 large, but 

 immature, eggs. 



Family VIPERIM. 



Sub-family ViPERlNiE. 



Vipera russellii. 



This is called locally " Mand&llee," and as I have remarked under 

 Eryx conictis in this paper, these two snakes are confused by the natives, 

 and both treated with equal dread. 



The following table indicates a considerable preponderance of males 

 (10) over females (1). 



It appeared to be breeding in the cool weather, and the young were 

 born in May and June. The smallest hatchling was 9-| inches at birth, 

 or about one-seventh the length of a very large adult. In a state of 

 nature, rats proved the favoured article of diet, and my note of May 

 17th shows that the young subsist on mammals like their parents. The 

 navel involved 4 to 5 ventrals, and from 13-15 separated it from the 

 anal shield. 



The smallest I kept alive for a day or two, in a biscuit-box. It was 

 very alort, resented interference of any sort, and struck most viciously at 



