104 DE. J. E. T. AITCHISON OX THE ZOOLOGY OF 



Major Biddulph in 1880, wliicli has been reported upon by Blanford *. Whether 

 N. oxiaiia deserves specific distinction from _/V. tripndians appears to me extremely 

 doubtful, as the temporal scutellation of the latter is liable to a greater amount of 

 variation than was believed by Strauch. Figures are given of the heads of the four 

 specimens before me. The adult are uniform brown above, without spectacle-mark. 

 The young show traces of the transverse bands represented on Eichwald's figure. 



The adult specimen recently obtained by Nikolsky near the Russian post of Giarmak, 

 near Geok-Jepe, is described as slaty grey, without any markings. 



[Owing to the great size of this Cobra, and believing that it was the ordinary Indian 

 species, I only preserved one entire specimen and two heads. This, with Vipera obtusa, 

 is considered very destructive to Camels ; both are equally called " Shutar-mar." — ■ 

 J. E. T. A.] 



31. Vipera obtusa, Dwig. 



Vipera euphratica , Strauch, torn. cit. p. 221. 

 Vipera obtusa, Blanford, torn. cit. p. 428. 



1 specimen. Shore-kaltegai. 



1 specimen. Sang-hadji. 



1 specimen. Saug-kotal. 



1 specimen. Kilki. 



[This Viper is said to be very common on the sandstone rocks of the Badghis, and also 

 in the valley of the Hari-rud. The last specimen I preserved was obtained to the south 

 of Mt. Do-Shakh, at Kilki. It causes much mortality amongst Camels ; owing to its 

 extremely sluggish habits it will not move out of the way, trusting to its colouring to 

 escape detection ; hence it is apt to be trampled upon, the result, of course, proving fatal 

 to the trarnpler. It is called, as already stated, " Shvxtar-mar " by the natives, an honour 

 divided between it and the Cobra of these parts. The largest one that I measured was 

 5 feet in length, and 6 inches in circumference at its greatest girth. The country round 

 Chil-gaz was regarded as highly favourable to Snakes : in one night one horse died, 

 and a second had its head so swollen up from a poisoned wound, considered to have been 

 caused by the bite of a Snake, that the head of the poor beast looked more like that 

 of a hippopotamus than anything else to which I could liken it. The animal lingered 

 for several days, and I believe would have recovered, but rubbing its head, it broke the 

 skin and flies settled on it. — J. E. T. A.] 



35. Echis arenicola, Boie. 



Echis arenicola, Strauch, torn. cit. p. 228. 

 Echis carinata, Blanford, torn. cit. p. 430. 



1 specimen. Nushki to Helmand. 

 1 specimen. Tirphul. 

 1 specimen. Chil-gaz. 



* Journ. As. Soc. Beng. i. 1881, p. 241. 



