THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



67 



Supplementary characters. — Supraoctdars many, small scales. A 

 horn-like appendage at the back of the Eyebrow (not shown correctly 

 in figure). Nasal not touching the rostral nor 1st labial. Siiblinyuals 

 touch 4 infralabials. Infralabials 4. Scales in midbody 23 to 25. 

 Ventrals not ridged. Suhcandals divided. 



Distribution, — Persia and Baluchistan. 



Poison, — Nothing known. 



Dimensions. — Grows to about 3 feet. 



Colour, — '• Greyish or brownish above, with four series of large 

 dark spots, the two median sometimes confluent and forming cross- 

 bars ; a dark streak on each side of the head from the eye to behind 

 the gape ; whitish beneath, dotted with dark, and with a lateral series 

 of dark spots." (Boulenger.) 



^^^ Prajl^^ 



Suh 



AZEMIOFS FE^— Fea's ViPer. 



Identification. — (1) scales in midbody 

 17 {see fig. 7). (2) 6 supralabials of 

 which the ord only touches the eye. 

 These two points when co-existing will 

 serve to differentiate this from every 

 other snake. 



Supplementary characters. — Frontal 



unusually broad, about 3 times the 



breadth of each supraocular. Nasal 



touches 1st and 2nd infralabials only. 



Loreal present. This is the only 



poisonous snake with large shields on 



the head in which this shield occurs. 



Prccoculars 3. A very unusual feature. 



(Except the pit-vipers I know of only 

 Fig. 42.— Azemiops feae (after i- ii 



Bouien'^er). one other snake where these shields 



are 3, viz., Lytorhjnchus paradoxus). Temporals 2. The upper 

 touching one supralabial only, viz., the 4th. Eye with vertical pupil. 

 Supralabials 6, the 3rd only touching the eye. SuUmrmals.—Om 

 pair only each in contact with 2 .scales behind. Infralabials 3 only. 

 i>«s<r26M<wn.— One specimen only known discovered by Mons. Fea 

 in the Kachin Hills of Upper Burmah. 



