THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



49 



LACHESIS MONTICOLA-Tlie Large-spotted ViP:r. 



Identification. — This is the only species that has no subocular shield, 



and this character will serve to 

 diagnose it. 



Supplementary characters. — 

 Intemasals. — A pair, separated 

 by from 1 to 3 small scales. Su- 

 praocular. — A single shield. 

 Nasal. ~^ot united with 1st 

 labial ; no minute scales inter- 

 calated between it and the 2nd 

 labial. Subocular absent ; '2,7ui 

 labial furrowed in its upper half, 

 and forming the inner wall of 

 the loreal pit. /Sca/e5.— Anterior 

 usually 2o (rarely 25) ; mid- 



-'tz? 



Fig. 29. — Lachesis monticola (nat. size). 



body 23 (rarely 21 or 25) ; posterior 19 (rarely 21). 



ni,trtbuti<m.— The Uimahynn region (from 2,000 to 8,0CO feet) 

 including Hills of Assam, Burmah and Yunnan. Colonel Waddell, 

 I.M.S., in his book "Among the Himalayas" (p. 240) mentions 

 it as comman in Bhotan. I found it common in the Khasi Hills 

 (Shillong). 



PoMon.— Stoliczka* mentions a cooly who was bitten by a small one 

 about 14^ inches in length. He made him suck vigorously, and gave 

 him brandy, and no ill-effects were noticed. Though bitten he was 

 probably not poisoned. A snake-catcher of mine was bitten by one 

 which measured 1 foot 9 inches. The wound was inflicted on the 

 dorsal aspect of the second phalanx of his right middle finger. I saw 

 him two hours after the accident. He was complaining of much pain, 

 the wound was still oozing, and there was much swelling of the hand, 

 forearm, and arm, extending even to the loose tissues below the axilla. 

 He recovered without any constitutional symptoms, nervous or otherwise, 

 excepting a serious hfemorrhage which occurred the day afterwards. 

 This began from the wound while he was asleep at mid-day, and when 

 * Journal Asiatic Soc, Bengal, Vol. XXXiX, p. 224. 



