424 VIPERIDJE. 



523. Ancistrodon himalayanus. 



llalys bimalayanus, Gilnth. Kept. B. I. p. 393, pi. xxiv, fig. A ; 



Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xxxix, 1870, p. 226; Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, 



p. 196, and 1872, p. 401 ; Fayrer, Thanutoph. pi. xvi ; Thcob. Cat. 



p. 225 ; Blunf. Zool. 2nd Yark. Miss., Rejyt. p. 24. 

 Trigonocepbalus bloruhoffii (non Boie), Jan, Icon. Ophid. 46, pi. v, 



figs. 4, 6. 



Snout hardly turned up, with sharp canthus rostralis ; rostral 

 as deep as broad or a little broader than deep ; a pair of praefrontals, 

 and a pair of internasals in contact with each other; two post- 

 oculars, upper small, lower descending to below the eye, which it 

 sometimes entirely separates from the labials ; 5 to 7 upper labials, 

 none entering the loreal pit, the penultimate very large, formed by 

 fusion with the lower temporals. Scales sharply keeled, in 21 or 

 23 rows. Yentrals 144-166 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 35-51 pairs. 

 Brown, with black spots or transverse bands ; sometimes with a 

 light vertebral band with dark festooned borders ; a black, light- 

 edged band from the eye to the angle of the mouth ; lower parts 

 dark brown or variegated with black and white. 



Total length 34 inches. 



Hob. Very common all over the North-western Himalayas, 

 especially between 5000 and 8000 feet, and ascending even to 10,000 

 feet ; also recorded from Sikhim, and specimens in the British 

 Museum are stated to have been collected by Jerdon in the KLasi 

 Hills. 



524. Ancistrodon hypnale. 



Russell, Ind. Serp. ii, pi. xxii. 



? Coluber nepa, Law: Syst. Kept. p. 97. 



Copbias hypnale, Merr. Tent. p. 155. 



Trigonocepbalus hypnale, Schlea. Phys. Serp. ii, p. 550, pi. xx, figs. 6 & 



7; Drnn. $ Bibr. Erp. Gen. vii, p. 1498; Jan, Icon. Ophid. 46, 



pi. v, figs. 2, 3. 



Trmiesurus ceylonensis, Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 49. 

 Trigonocephalus zara, Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 15. 

 Hypnale nepa, Cope, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1859, p. 335 ; Giinth. Kept. 



B. I. p. 394 ; Fayrtr, Thanatoph. pi. xvii ; Tlieob. Cat. p. 226. 

 Hypnale affinis, Anders. J.A. S. B. xl, 1871, pt. 2, p. 20. 



Snout more or less turned up at the end, with sharp canthus 

 rostralis ; rostral as deep as broad or deeper than broad ; upper 

 surface of snout covered with small shields, which are often irregu- 

 lar and scale-like ; one or two postoculars and one or two suboculars ; 

 7 or 8 upper labials, second entering the loreal pit, none entering 

 the eye. Scales more or less distinctly keeled, in 17 or 19 rows. 

 Ventrals 140-155 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 31-45 pairs. Colora- 

 tion very variable : upper parts brown, yellowish, or greyish, 

 uniform, or with blackish-brown alternating spots or cross bands, 

 frequently with small deep black spots disposed in pairs ; sides of 

 head usually dark brown, edged above with a fine whitish line ; 



