MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. H07 



of 2 miles above sea level where I have seen the black vulture soaring, the 

 barometer would normally stand at a height of about 20 inches. That is to 

 say present day birds could and can fly at a much less barometric pressure 

 than exists at the surface of the earth. 



I published a note on this subject in the Aeronautical Journal for Octo- 

 ber 1914, p. 324, but should be glad to have further information on the 

 points here raised. 



E. H. HANKIN. 

 Agra, U. P., 

 21st December 1915. 



No. XXVI.— ABUNDANCE OF THE SAW SCALED VIPER 

 (ECHIS CARINATA) IN THE PUNJAB. 



This year in Gujranwala District, Punjab, we waged a special war against 

 the Echis Viper which is there most abundant and destructive to human life. 

 Two annas per head were sanctioned as a reward, and although the matter 

 was neglected away from Head-quarters, the fact, that there I took it into 

 my own hands and paid the money without delay on the production of the 

 snakes, encouraged a party of Gugras to earn their living by catching snakes 

 round about Gujranwala itself. 



These snakes were brought in to me almost daily, in any number up to 

 five hundred at a time. They were brought in alive, twenty or so in an 

 earthern pot closed by a piece of cloth tied over the mouth ; as soon as the 

 order to kill the snakes was given the cloths were taken oif the pots, and the 

 snakes were extracted one at a time with a pair of rough tongs, and thrown 

 on the ground to be despatched with a stick. As an additional precaiition 

 agamst the snakes being used a second time to claim the reward, I had all 

 heads cut off after the corpses had been laid out in rows and counted. 



A few other snakes were included in the following figures, but all but one 

 or two per cent, were Echis Vipers. My returns shew the following monthly 

 totals : — 



July . . . . 927. 



August . . . . 2,455. 



September . . . . 2,902. 



October . . . . 997. 



A few snakes were still being brought in at the beginning of November, 

 but the reward was stopped owing to lack of funds. 



The snakes apparently only emerged in July as none were brought in 

 before then. Both adults and young ones were brought in about equal 

 numbers, but I do not think that there was any question of the snakes being 

 bred especially for the reward. From all accounts the species is sufiiciently 

 numerous near Gujranwala on a certain type of ground for that device to 

 be unnecessary. 



HUGH WHISTLER, 



Indian Police. 

 Ambala City, 15^^ November 1915, 



No. XXVII.— FOOD OF THE CARABIDM. 



Maxwell Lefroy, in his '^ Indian Insect Life;' remarks that details of the 

 food of the Carabidts (predaceous ground beetles) are much wanted. In this 

 connection the following account may prove interesting. 



