270 
NATURE 
[ Yan. 18, 1883 
Poisonous Snakes of India 
Those marked with an * are most deadly. 
Those marked with a + are most common among the most 
deadly. 
PolsoNOUS COLUBRINE SNAKES 
Llapide 
1. Naja N. tripudians 7, cobra, several 
varieties 
O. elaps *, hamadryas 
B. ceruleus ft, krait 
B. fasciatus, sankni 
X. bungaroides 
C. intestinalis and several other 
spec es 
Fydrophide, or Sea Snakes (all deadly) 
P. scutatus, P. Fischeri 
H. cyanocincta, and several 
other species 
E. bengalensis 
P. bicolor 
2. Ophiophagus 
3. Bungarus 
4. Xenurelaps 
5. Callophis 
1. Platurus 
2. Hydrophis 
3. Enhydrina 
4. Pelamis 
VIPERINE SNAKES 
Crotalide, or Fit Vipers 
T. gramineus and several other 
species 
1. Trimeresurus 
2. Peltopelor P. macrolepis 
3. Halys H. himalaya: us 
4. Hypnale H, nepa 
Viperide, or true Vipers 
1. Daboia D. rus-elliit, Chain Viper, 
Tic-polonga 
2. Echi E. carinata t, Phoorsa snake, 
Afaé, Kuppur 
The following is a scale of the rewards offered in dif- 
ferent parts of India, at different times, for wild beasts 
and snakes :— 
TIGERS 
Rupees 
Bengal 80 oa S00 12} 10 50 
Berar eas oo ae = a0 TO}y,;, 20 
Bombay ... — oe te eee 6.5; 60 
Burmah ... oat a nas ste Se eo 
Central Provinces a ‘= sts Io ,, 100 
Hyderabad anc anc = sa 20 
Madras +A “00 oo we 50 to 500 
My:ore ... “0 5c soc 35 
North-West Provinces... ies a 10 
Oudh : None 
Punjab None 
Rajpootana S56 IO to 15 
Lions 
The only record cf which I find cfficial mention, is 25 rupees 
in Kotah. 
PANTHERS, LEOPARDS, CHEETAHS 
Rupees. 
Bengal oe a ae a8 aA 2% to 10 
Bombay es wie Ss vee see Seas 12 
Burmah a wee aes oe i Sess) 10 
Hyderabad ... 286 50 cot co 10 
Madras 0 vee ar ive ae 25 
My. ore eco ta sce ack oo 15 
North-West Provinces... 2 moe 5 
Rajpootana ac oo we ace 8 to 10 
Ceutral Provinces ... oe oi wee pg 123 
WOLVES 
Rupees 
Bergal Bch ae ae ee a 5 to 20 
Berar fee ie cg oo ay Baan «5 
Bombay : se oes ace fas 4 
Central Provinces ... an oe eae Zeto, 5 
Madras oe wae ae ese ies 5 
Noith-West Provinces... 6 ey 5 
Oudh ee ou se ee ae I to 6 
Kajpootana... wn Ses * 5 5 
IlyNAS 
Rupees. 
Bengal 6 - Ace ee “A Tetomee 
Berar 2 i ane a Aa 5 
Central Provinces ... ee ohn ae A tones 
Madras he = e: ay Ree 3} 
BEARS 
Rupees. 
Bengal ne 1} to 23 
Berar 520 5 355 “A — 
Bombay... 20 a Sah ie 3 to 12 
Burmah = Pe, ee ie 5 tenes 
Hyderabad ... 595 oe E 
Madras : =6 bd 505 200 
Central Provinces ... ine 355 se 2). toms 
North-West [Provinces ... ie “0 3 
Rajpootana... 28 “50 B53 oe 5 
SNAKES (Species not reported) 
Bengal ... coe 0 4 annas 
Berar ... 200 an3 650 = 
Bombay... co ae 6 pie to 4 annas 
Burmah... 866 bet boxe _ 
Central Provinces I rupee 
Hydcrabad 8 annas to 2 rupees 
Madras ... ae I anna 
Mysore ... 30 50 8 annas 
North-West Provinces... a5 2 rupzes 
Oudh .... oa oes ae = 
Punjab .. cen et 2 annas 
Rajpootana ao 084 I to § annas 
No rewards appear officially proclaimed for elephants, 
buffaloes, or bisons. In cases of notorious rogue ele- 
phants rewards have been specially given. In Burmah 5 
to 20 rupees offered for alligators ; in special cases, more 
has been given in Bengal and Madras. 
The difference in the amount of the rewards appears to 
indicate that higher sums were offered in special cases, 
probably when the creature was a nctorious man or 
cattle-slayer. 
Now I cannot help thinking that if Government made 
it part of the duty of district officers, not only to pro- 
claim these rewards but to encourage the destruction of 
wild animals and snakes, by means of an organised 
establishment, which should be supplied in these dis- 
tricts, much benefit might result. The money rewards 
already offered would probably suffice for wild animals, 
but those for venomous snakes should be increased ; 
if, at the same time, the people were encouraged 
to work for the rewards, and were aided by persons 
acting under properly selected superiors, the result would 
soon show a diminution of the wild animals and snakes. 
But, I repeat that not until some organised establishment 
is formed, to be worked steadily throughout the whole 
country—not dependent on the will or subject to the 
caprice of individuals, but under local officers subject to 
one head—will any real or progressive amelioration 
of the evil be effected. Such a department under a 
selected officer, would, as was the case with the Thugs 
and Dacoits, soon make an impression on a death-rate 
which, so long as it continues in its present condition, 
must be referred to a defect in our administration. 
J. FAYRER 
PALAZOLITHIC IMPLEMENTS OF NORTH- 
EAST LONDON 
ihe 1855 Prof. Prestwich published in the Quarfer/y 
Fournal of the Geological Society an account of a 
fossiliferous deposit in the gravel of West Hackney. 
The precise locality of the excavation is given, and from 
1855 to now many neighbouring excavations have | een 
made. They almost invariably exhibit the “ Paleolithic 
Floor.” In 1855 only little was known of palzolithic 
implements, yet it is a remarkable thing that none of 
these objects, so common and well-made as they usually 
