56 



THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



Fig. 3(i, 



LACSESIS AITALZALLENSZS-Tlie Anamallay Viper. 



Idenlificauon. — Supraocul.ir div'ulcMl. and co-existing with this, a 

 BuboGular not touching ^^ 



the ord labial. 



Supplementary char- 

 acters. — Internasah. — 

 A pair separated by a 

 small scale. Supra- 

 ocular divided. Xasal 

 not united with Jst 

 labial ; small scales 

 may or may not be 

 intercalated l)etween 

 it and the 2nd la- 

 bial. Suhocular. — Not 

 touching the 3rd labial. 

 2nd labial, with a 

 furrow in its upper 

 part directed into the 

 loreal pit. Scales. — Anterior, 21 

 posterior, 15 or 17. 



Distribution. — Confined to the Western Ghats and hilly regions 

 south of ihe Krishna River, where it is quite common, at altitudes 

 ranging between 2,000 to 7,000 feet.* 



Poison. — Jerdonf has known several cases of bite, but none proved 

 fatal. Mr. Henderson has informed me by letter how he was once 

 bitten by one in the forefinger. The snake was half grown. He 

 sucked the wound, and cauterised it at once, and "suffered very little 

 discomfort." For some time afterwards he experienced a sense ot 

 weight in this arm when it was held down. Ferguson t relates how- 

 Baron Von Rosenberg was bitten by this snake in the foot. He did not 

 know he was bitten, and walked 10 miles before pain asserted itself. 

 He then found the member so swollen he had to cut the boot ofi". 

 After a night of pain and fever, a cupful of blood anil matter came 

 away, and it was several days before he could wear anything but a 



* The specimen from Cnttack (Ko. 4122 in the Indian Museum, Sclater J. A. S. Bengal., 

 Vol. LX ) is in my oi)iniou L. gnimhieus. ^ 



t Journal, Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. XXII., p. 52o. 

 X Journal, Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, Vol. X., p. H. 



-Liichesis tiuiiniallensis (nat. bize^. 

 midbody, usually 21 (rare!}' 19); 



