38 BULLETIN 151, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Genus VIPERA Laurenti 



VIPERA HINDn Boalenger 



Vipera hinrlii Botjlenger, 1910, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, vol. 5, p. 513. — 

 Meek, 1910, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Pub., vol. 7, p. 405. — Loveridqe, 1916, 

 Journ. E. Afr. & Uganda Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. 5, p. 87.— Angel, 1925, Rep- 

 tiles et Batraciens, vol. 2, in Voyage de Ch. AUuaud et R. Jeannel en Afrique 

 Orientale (1911-1912). Paris, p. 37, fig. 5. 



1 (U.S.N. M. 42021) Kenya Colony. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N. M. 49409) Aberdare Mtns., K. C. (Heller) 1911. 



Mid-body scale rows, 25; ventrals, 131 to 136; anals entire; sub- 

 caudals, 25 to 32; labials, 8. The larger specimen, which surpasses 

 the type and is the largest on record, being longer than either those 

 in the Paris or Nairobi Museum, is 330 (297 + 33) mm. 



The revised scale formula for this rare snake (after embodying the 



data from all six examples known to me) now stands as follows: 



Scales, 25 to 28; ventrals, 130 to 144;^^ anal single; subcaudals 25 to 



36; labials 8 or 9. 



Genus BITIS Gray 



BITIS ARIETANS (Merrem) 



Vipera (Echidna) arieians Merrem, 1880, Tent. Sj'st. Amphib., p. 52. — Boulen- 



ger, 1896, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., vol. 3, p. 493. 

 Pug Adder, Roosevelt, 1910, African Game Trails, pp. 188, 196, 290, 291, 389. 



3 (U.S.N.M. 40787, 40996, 49055) Guaso Nyiro, K. C. (Sm. Afr. 



Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 41519) Lake Naivasha, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 41697) Njoro Osolali, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 42161) Kitesi, U. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1910. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 42162) Kenya Colony. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 42223) Kikonda, U. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1910. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 42480) Lake Hannington, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 3 (U.S.N.M. 49048, 49050-1) Kakumega, K. C. (Heller) 1912. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 49055) Guaso Nyiro, K. C. (Heller) 1911-12. 



Mid-body scales in 31 to 34 rows; ventrals, 131 to 143; subcaudals, 

 16 to 35; labials, 12 to 15. The largest snake, a skin with head and 

 tail attached, measures 940 (810 — 130) mm. 



One of Kermit's gun bearers saw a puff adder (among the most deadly of all 

 snakes); with delightful nonchalance he stepped on its head and then held it up 

 for me to put my knife through its brain and neck. I slipped it into my saddle 

 pocket, vvhere its blood stained the pigskin cover of the little pocket Nibelun- 

 genlied which that day I happened to carry. (Roosevelt, p. 188.) 



On the bigger puff adder, some 4 feet long, were a dozen ticks, some swollen 

 to the size of cherries; apparently they were disregarded by their sluggish and 

 deadly host. (Roosevelt, p. 196.) 



Tarlton, by the way, told me an interesting anecdote of a white-tailed mongoose 

 and a snake. The mongoose was an inmate of the house where he dwelt with 

 his brother and was quite tame. One day they brought in a rather small puff 

 adder, less than 2 feet long, put it on the floor, and showed it to the mongoose. 

 Instantly the latter sprang toward the snake, every hair in its body and tail on 



" According to Meek. 



