POISONOUS SMAEE9. 249 



never heard of its being killed in the Island of Bombay, although 

 the harmless " brown trje snake" (Dipsas gokool), which somewhat 

 resembles it, is often sent to me as a Phoorsa. You will readily 

 distinguish them, as the head of the Echis, like all vipers, is 

 covered with scales, whereas that of the Dipsas gokool has plates 

 or shields. Dr. Guuther was, when he issued his book on the 

 Indian Reptiles, under the impression that the bite of this little 

 viper was not absolutely fatal, but it has since been proved 

 that in certain districts the mortality from the Phoorsa is very 

 great. 



8. The Green Tree Viper (Trimeresurus anamallensis) belongs 

 to the family of Crotalidas, or Pit Vipers, so called from a curious 

 pit or cavity between the nostril and the eye, the use of which is 

 not known. The dreaded rattle-snake of America belongs to the 

 same family. There are eight species of Trimeresuri in India, but 

 we have, at present, iu our collection, only T. anamallensis from 

 the Bombay Presidency. It appears to be common on the Ghauts, 

 as we receive many from Khandalla, Egutpura and Mahableshwar, 

 Dr. Gunther states that another species, T. strigatus, is found in the 

 Deccan, and I hope before long some of our up-country members 

 will be able to send us one in order that we 7nay have specimens of 

 the ten poisonous snakes, which are now known to beloug to this 

 Presidency.* It is just possible that an eleventh, Peltopelor 

 macroleph, may also occur in the Canarese jungles, as it is said to 

 be common a little further south. 



9. We now come to Hynalc ncpn, or the Carawala, which was 

 found in Carwar by Mr. G. VV. Vidal, C.S. Its head-quarters are in 

 Ceylon, where it is greatly dreaded, but, like so many of the Ceylon 

 fauna, this snake is to be found along the Malabar Coast, but 

 probably not further north than Carwar. 



I have to-day only dealt with the poisonous laud snakes of this 

 Presidency, but all the true sea-snakes are, as you know, poisonous, 

 I may state that we have at present in our collection specimens of 

 the following species : — 



Hydrophis diadema. (Guuther.) 



Hydrophis robusta. (Gunther.) 



Hydrophis curta. (Gunther.) 



Hydrophis aurifasciatus. (Murray.) 



* A specimen has since been received from Mr. H. B. Wise, which was killed m 

 ' arwar, 



