218 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



beautiful specimens, is not found, I believe, in any part of this 

 Presidency, although it occurs in parts of Bengal and Lower India, 



4. Our fourth poisonous Colubrino land snake is the Callophis 

 trimaculatus, which does not possess any popular name that I am 

 aware of. It is a ground snake, and. lives chiefly on other small 

 snakes. Dr. Gunther says that the Calamariaa, which they much 

 resemble in appearance, are their principal food. This snake, 

 although so small, is undoubtedly poisonous. We have two speci- 

 mens, one from the Konkan and the other from Bandora. 



5. I have just received a telegram from Mr. G. W. Vidal. C.S., 

 to the effect that the specimen of Callophis nigrescens, which he 

 deposited some time ago with the Society, was found by him in 

 Oarwar, thus addiug another poisonous snake to the list of those 

 found in this Presidency. The upper parts of this sn ake are black 

 and the lower uniform red. It grows to about four feet in length'. 



6. We now come to the Viperine snakes, first and foremost of 

 which is the deadly Daboia ehgans, the Gunus of the natives, known 

 to Europeans in India as the Chain Viper and in Ceylon as the Tic 

 Polonga. It is common in the Island of Bombay, and is, I believe, 

 found in most parts of the Presidency. According to Sir Joseph 

 Fayrer's experiments, the poison of this snake, although very 

 different in its action, is almost, if not quite, as fatal as that of the 

 cobra. It has, as you will observe, exceedingly long fangs and a 

 good supply of spare ones behind ready to take the place of those 

 in front should they be broken. From its sluggish habits, its 

 fierceness, and the great length of its fangs, it is to be dreaded; 

 I think, more than any other snake in this country. Most of the 

 authorities give 50 inches as its length, but we have the head ol 

 one killed by Mr. J. C. Anderson, in Hurda, Central Provinces, 

 which was 61^ inches. Judging from the size of the head, and the 

 evidence of the piece of string with which the snake was measured., 

 there is little doubt that the correct length has been stated. Like 

 most of the vipers it is difficult to keep in confinement, but it is 

 very tenacious of life, and has been known to live for a whole year 

 without food. It is an exceedingly haudsotne snake, especially 

 when young, as- you will see from the specimens before you. 



7. The only other true viper in this country is the Echis carinata, 

 known here as the Phoorsa and in Sind as the Kupper. We have 

 received it from many partsof the Presidency, and in some districts — 

 Rutnagherry for instance — it is found in great numbers. I have 



