THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 57 



sli]jper. A year later the place swelled up again, became painful, and 

 discharged matter. Ferguson also mentions having met a hillman 

 with a withered right arm which he (the native) attributed to a bite 

 from this reptile. 



Dimensions. — Grows to o^ feet. 



Colour. — Greenish variegated with blackish, or dark blackish-green, 

 Boulenger says olive, yellowish or reddish-brown. Flanks coarsely 

 tlappled with buff. Belly greenish or yellowish. 



GROUP 5— PITLESS VIPERS. 



Identification,— f -/J Tail round. (2) Snout and crown coverea 

 icith small smles similar to those on the back of the hody^ ; see fig. 37, 

 (3) Only a part of the last row of costals is visible on either side of the 

 ventrals when the specimen is laid on to its back (see fig. 5). (4) No 

 loreal pit. 



This group includes 5 species referable to 4 genera. They may be 

 identified as follows : — 



A. Shields beneath tail similar to those beneath 



belly (i-ee SO., Fig. 9 B) Echis carinata. 



B, Shields beneath tail divided {see SC, Fig. 9 D) 



(a) Ventrals with 2 ridges (see V, Fig. 



b7) Eristocophis mcmahoni. 



(b) Ventrals not ridged. 



(a^) No horn above eye. 



3 chains of large spots, one along 



spine, and one on each side ... Vipera russelU. 

 1 chain of spots along spine, none 



on the sides „ lehelhia. 



(Z/i) A horn-like appendage above 

 the eye. 4 chains of spots 

 along body Pseudocerades penkm 



ECSIS CAEINA.TA— Tlie Sa-^r-scaled ViPer. 

 The •' Kuppur " of Sind. •' Phoorsa " of the Bombay Presidency. 

 "Atai" about Delhi. The '•' Kallu havoo " of Mysore. " Kattu 

 virian " about Madras ; and the " Horatta pam," according to Russell, 

 on the Coromandel ( Jonst. 



~*~A few harmless snakes havf. the snout covered with small scale— sfor instance, the 

 Genus Eryx. Biphte^ too may be included with these. In all these, two or often many 

 wore rows of coslals are visible from beneath [see I'ig. ?•). 



