490 VIPERID&. 
%. é (Se. 25; V.175; Quetta, Baluchistan. Mr.J.A, Murray [P.]. 
. 45). 
a. 9 (Se. 27; V. 173; ——P Zoological Society. 
C. 46). (One of the types of V. confluenta.) 
B. 2 (Se. 27; V.178; —P Zoological Society. 
C. 46), 
y. Skull. Cyprus. 
9. Vipera russellii. 
Russell, Ind. Serp. i. pl. vii. (1796) & ii. pl. xxxii. (1801). 
Coluber russellii, Shaw, Nat. Miscell. viii. pl. cexci., and Zool. iii. 
p. 418, pl. eviii. (1802). 
—— trinoculus, Bechst. Lacép, Naturg. Amph. iv. p. 245 (1802). 
Vipera elegans, Daud. . vi, p. 124, pl. Lxxiii. (1803) ; Schleg. 
Phys. Serp. ii. p. 588, pl. xxi. figs. 4 & 5 (1837) ; Jan, Icon. Gén 
45, pl. vi. fig. 2 (1874). 
Coluber triseriatus, Herm. Obs. Zool. i. p. 278 (1804). 
Rec ieeers Gray, Zool. Miscell, p. 69 (1842), and Cat. p. 23 
(1849). 
russellii, Gray, U. ec. pp. 69 & 24; Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. 
p- 396 (1864); Stoliczka, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xxxix. 1870, 
p- 226; Fayrer, Thanatoph. Ind. pl. xi. (1874); Theob. Cat, Rept. 
rite ct p- 217 (1876); Anders, An. Zool. Res. Yunnan, p. 833 
(1879). 
pulchella, Gray, Zool. Miscell. p. 69. 
Echidna elegans, Dum. § Bibr. vii. p. 1435 (1854), 
russellii, Steind. Novara, Rept. p. 88 (1867). 
Vipera russellii, Strauch, Syn. Viper. p. 85 (1869) ; Bouleng. Faun. 
nd., Rept. p. 420, fig. (1890) ; Brook-Fox, Journ. Bomb. N. H. 
Soe. viii. 1894, p. 565. 
Snout obtuse, with distinct canthus ; vertical diameter of the eye 
shorter than its distance from the mouth in the adult. Rostral as 
deep as broad or a little broader than deep, in contact with two or 
three apical scales; scales on upper surface of head small, imbricate, 
strongly keeled ; 6 to 9 longitudinal series of scales between the 
supraoculars, which are very narrow; 10 to 15 scales round the eye ; 
three or four series of scales between the eye and the labials ; 
nostril very large, pierced in the nasal and. bordered by a supranasal 
and a naso-rostral; temporal scales strongly keeled; 10 to 12 upper 
labials ; 4 or 5 (rarely 3) lower labials in contact with the chin- 
shields. Scales in 27-33 rows, strongly keeled, outer row smooth. 
Ventrals 154-176; anal entire; subcaudals 43-64, Pale brown 
above, with three longitudinal series of black, light-edged rings or 
rhombs, which may encircle reddish-brown spots; the vertebral 
spots may join or even form an undulous band; in some specimens, 
however, these elegant markings may be replaced by faint dark 
spots ; head with large symmetrical dark markings and two light 
streaks uniting on the snout and diverging behind; yellowish white 
beneath, uniform or with crescentic small black spots. 
Total length 1250 millim.; tail 170. Grows to 1670 millim, | 
India, Ceylon, Burma, Siam ; Sumatra and Java (?). 
