THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



316 



Poison. — Jerdon* knew several cases of bite from this species, but 

 none proved fatal. The Rev. F. Castels has informed me that he once 

 caused a fresh adult to bite a jackal, but the jackal did not seem to 

 mind, and suffered no ill effects. 



Dimensions. - Grows to 2 feet. 



Colour. — Uniform bright foliage-green above, lighter beneath. A 

 well-defined white or yellow line runs down the flanks, sometimes a 

 blackish supercilium, blackish marks along the spine, and blackish rings 

 round the tail, but these rapidly fade in spirit. Rarely specimens are 

 met with uniform olive-brown in colour. 



Lachesis strigatus — The Horse-shoe Viper. 



Identification. — This is the only species in which the 2nd labial 

 shield is entirely distinct from the 

 loreal pit {see Fig. 27), and this alone 

 will suffice to establish its identity. 



Supplementary characters : In- 

 ternasals. — No scales are suffi- 

 ciently enlarged to deserve the 

 name. Supraocular. A single shield. 

 Nasal. — Not united to 1st labial ; 

 one or more minute scales are 

 intercalated between it and the 

 furrowed shield forming the inner 

 wall of the loreal pit. Subocvlar — 

 Not touching the 3rd labial. 

 Scales — Anterior usually 21, (rarely 19) ; midbody usually 21, (rarely 

 2'6) ; posterior usually 15, (rarely 17). 



Distribution. — The Western Ghats and the Nilgiri, Anamdlay, She- 

 varoy, and Pulney Hills of Southern India, at altitudes from 3.000 to 

 8,000 feet. Gray mentions it as common about Ootacamund,and Jerdon 

 as not uncommon in the wooded parts of the Nilgiris; but, judging 

 from the paucity of specimens in museums, an I the written testimony 

 of friends, it appears to me an uncommon snake everywhere. 



Poison. — Jerdonf mentions being bitten by one. A ligature speedily 

 applied, followed by suction, warded off any ill effects, but the skin 



* Jonrn 1 Viatic So., B;ng*l. Vol. XXII., p. »25. 

 t Journal Asiatic Soc., Bengal, Vol. XXIL, p. 624. 



Fig. 27.— I.acht sin strigatus 

 (nsit. size). 



