LACHESIS. 219 



Lachesis waf/leri, Bouleng. Cat. Sn. iii, p. 562 (1896) ; S. Flower, 

 P. Z. S. 1899, p. 696 ; Ridley, Journ. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. 

 Soc. No. 32, 1899, p. 202. 



Malay name, Ular bakaiv (Maugrove-suake). 



Head very broad, little longer than broad ; snout very short, 

 with more or less distinct canthus ; eye very small. Eostral as 

 deep as broad or a little broader than deep ; upper head-scales 

 small, strongly imbricate, keeled ; 7 to 13 scales in a series between 

 the supraoculars, which are usually narrow or broken up into 

 scales ; 1, 2, or 3 postoculars and a subocular, which is separated 

 from the labials by one or two series of scales, rarely in contact 

 with the third labial ; 8 to 10 upper labials, second not entering 

 the loreal pit, third very large ; gular scales obtusely keeled. 

 Scales in 21 to 25 rows (rarely 19 or 27), more or less distinctly 

 keeled. Ventrals l'^'^ 154 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 45-55 pairs. 

 Tail prehensile. Aaidts usually green above, the scales black- 

 edged, with bright yellow, black-edged cross-bands, or black with 

 yellow cross-bauds ; head black, spotted with yellow ; belly bright 

 yellow or yellow and green, the shields black-edged; end of tail 

 black. Young green above, with yellow or white cross-lines edged 

 behind with blue or purple, or with two doi'sal series of small spots 

 or cross-bars of the same colour ; a yellow or white line on each 

 side of the head, passing through the eye, edged below with blue 

 or purple; belly white or pale green, with or without black edges 

 to the shields; end of tail usually x-ed or reddish brown. Iris 

 yellow. 



Total length 980 millim. ; tail 150. 



Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. Generally distributed in the 

 Peninsula, and common in Singapore. Lives both on the ground 

 and on trees. Peeds on mammals, birds, and lizards. When 

 annoyed, Ridley says, it opens its mouth exceedingly wide, showing 

 its poison-fangs, but it is very slow and stupid, creeping away in 

 a leisurely manner. It is quite gentle in captivity. Its bite does 

 not seem to be deadly for large animals. 



The commonest of its genus in the Malay Peninsula, but not as 

 a rule far from the coast ; exceedingly abundant in the mangrove- 

 belt, where the Chinese fuel-cutters ai'e often bitten, without, 

 however, any very serious results. 



