328 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI 1. 



ably only to be found at this corner of our Indian possessions. It is 

 a desert form inhabiting sandy tracts. 

 Poison. — Nothing is known. 



Dimensions. — The largest specimen was about 2 feet. 

 Colour. — Reddish sandy brown, with white edged dark-brown spots 

 along the back. 



Viper a russellii. 

 Russell's Viper. The Chain Viper. The Daboia. 



The u Tic polonga" of Ceylon. "Kanardi virian " of Tamils in 

 Madras. " Mandali " of Malabar. " Mandalatha havu," and according to 

 Rice"Kolakumandala" of Mysore. The "Bora," " Chundra bora,'' 

 " Siah chunder amaitar," and "Jessur" of Bengal according to Fay- 

 rer. The '' Katuka rekula poda" of Russell (Coromandel Coast?). 

 The "Gunnus" of Bombay. The"Chitar" of Guzerat according to 

 Mosse. The '' Khad chitra " of Dantra District in the Bombay Presi- 

 dency according to Fenton. I am told the " Korail " of Sind. The 

 "Mwe-bwe" of Burmah. Probably also the " Cobra monil " of some 

 natives as suggested by Jerdon; literally "Necklace snake" in Por- 

 tuguese, and like other names dating from the Portuguese occupation of 

 India, such as " Biscobra," its significance has become obscured, and 

 surrounded with mystery by the native mind. 



Identification. — The sublinguals touching 4 or 5 infralabials ; the 

 subcaudals divided, and the 3 series of large dorsal spots when occur- 

 ring in the same specimen will establish the diagnosis. 



Supplementary characters: Supraocular a single shield. JSasal 

 touches the rostral and the 1st supralabial. Eye. — Diameter exceeds 

 distance of eye to nostril, and is subequal to its distance to the labial 

 margin in the adult ; 2 or 3 rows of scales between it and the labial 

 margin, ith supralabial the largest of the series. Sublinguals touch 4 

 or 5 infralabials and 2 scales behind. Infralabials 5 large normally, the 

 6th touching 2 scales behind. Scales in midbody 27 to 33. Ventrals 

 not ridged laterally. Subcaudals divided. 



Distribution. — Throughout the whole of the Indian Empire from 

 Ceylon to the Himalayas, and from the most eastern borders of 

 Burmah to the western limits of Sind. It is chiefly an inhabitant of 

 the plains, but is common in some localities from 2,000 to 4,000 feet 



