THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



51 



Supplementary characters. — Internasals. — A pair separated by one 

 small sciile. Supraocular,— k single shield. Nasal partially or com- 

 pletely united with 1st labial ; no minute scales intercalated between 



-2-71^- 



FlG, 30.— Lachesis cantoris (nat. size). 

 Note confluence of nasal (N) and 1st supralabial (1). 



it and the 2nd labial. Suhocular not touching the Srd labial. 'Ind 

 labial furrowed in its upper half, and forming the inner wall of the 

 loreal pit. Scales. — Anterior, 27 ; midbody, 29 ; posterior, 21. 



Distribution. — Peculiar to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 



Poison. — S toll czka remarks on the small size of the poison gland even 

 in specimens o to -^ feet long, and both he and Dr. Rink who visited 

 the insular groups above mentioned, where they found this snake 

 extremely abundant, elicited information from the natives showino- that 

 they (the natives) did not regard the bite as fatal. 



Colour.— There are two va^-ieties, the one bright green or dull 



greenish with dark spots, often arranged alternately in five longitudinal 

 series ; the other light, or dark brown, spotted with pale greenish. 

 Usually a well-defined white line runs along the flanks, and the head 

 has frequently a pale lateral streak. Belly whitish or greenish, uniform 

 or mottled. 



