60 THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



very venomous; although the action of its poison is not quite so (juick 

 as that of a cobra, it is equally as potent, and numerous deaths 

 annually occur from its bite." Dr. Inlach, < 'ivil {Surgeon at Shikar- 

 pur* (Sind), says," A reference to police returns will show that in by 

 far the greatest majority of cases serious injury and death have 

 been caused by the bite of this species." Again he avers " the Kuppur 

 is without exception the most deadly poisonous snake in Sind." 

 Mr. Millard has informed me by letter of the case of an attendant in the 

 Bombay Natural History Society's Rooms who, in October ]90o, was 

 bitten by an Echis in the temple. He was taken off at once to 

 hospital, admitted that he felt no fear, but in spite of prompt treatment 

 died 24: hours afterwards. 



In Delhi, in 1897, I knew, and many times saw, a famous snake- 

 catcher called Kalian bring his week's bag to the ( -ivil Hospital where 

 he extracted the poison of cobras, kraits and "afais" for the Civil 

 Surgeon (Major Dennys, I.M.S.) who sent it on to the (jrovernment of 

 India. The poison collected, he conveyed his specimens to the Deputy 

 Commissioner for the Government rewards. Each head had to be chopped 

 off, and when later he was counting these out for the satisfaction of an 

 official before payment, one Echis head fastened itself on to his finger. 

 The dose of poison under the circumstances must have been very 

 small, nevertheless most alarming symptoms rapidly supervened, and 

 Major Dennys told me that when he visited the man that night he 

 expected he would die, so grave was his condition. He, however, 

 recovered. One must not allow oneself to be misguided by the many 

 records in whicli dogs and other small animals have not succumbed to 

 the bite of this snake, and infer that man would jtrobably be even less 

 effected. One can find numerous instances of small animals not 

 succumbing to the effects of bites of cobras and Russell's vipers, though 

 we know how fatal these poisons usually or^. 



Dimensions. — Grows to about 2 feet. 



Colour. — Various shades from sandy to dark cedar. A more or less 

 distinct pale sinuous flank line always present. A jiale mark on the 

 crown somewhat resembling the imprint of a bird's foot. Belly uni- 

 form whitish, or dotted with light brown or dark sjxits. 



ERISTOCOFHIS MCMAHONI-McMalioa's Viper. 

 Idenlificathn. — The ventral shields are ridged on either side unlike 

 other species of this group, and this is the best nietnis of diagnosis 

 (se^ fig. 37 C). 



* Trans, of the Bomb. Med. and Phys. Soc, Vol. lit., p. 80. 



