1340 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



lime tree at a height of 4 feet from the ground. Echis is not a difficult 

 snake to recognise if one knows its " points " but perhaps you will kindly 

 confirm my identification. 



A. H. E. MOSSE, Capt., I. A. 



Palanpur, N. Gujarat, 2^rd July 1912. 



[The specimen sent by Captain Mosse is certainly Echis carinata. — Eds.] 



No. XXVII.— HABITAT OF ECHIS CARINATA. 



It is generally supposed that the saw-scaled Viper (Echis carinata) is 

 rarely seen at a height of 5,000 feet. Major Wall in his book "The 

 Poisonous Terrestrial Snakes of our British Indian Dominions " writes of 

 the Echis : " It is an inhabitant of the plains and becomes progressively 

 scarcer at altitudes ranging up to 5,000 feet. 5,700 feet is the highest I 

 know of." 



It is of interest therefore to note that at Kacha Thana, a small outpost 

 in the hills of the Ohagai Tahsil of Baluchistan, at an altitude of 5,000 

 feet, the Echis is quite common. During the past three months I have 

 obtained six specimens, all from the Kacha nullah, at heights ranging 

 from 5,000 to 5,400 feet. 



Unlike the Persian Horned Viper, another common snake in this locality, 

 the Echis is apparently not timid in approaching human habitations. 

 About a fortnight ago while the Oflicers of the Garrison were sitting in 

 front of the Mess Bungalow before dinner, an Echis was observed quietly 

 making its way under the chairs. It passed beneath the whole line of 

 deck chairs and was unconcernedly heading for the verandah when I 

 captured it. 



Local Balochis call the Echis " landi mar " evidently in allusion to the 

 brevity of its caudal appendage. It is also occasionally named " gwanden 

 mar" or " little snake" in contradistinction to the " shakhwala mar" 

 {Pseudocerastes persicus), an altogether bigger and stouter snake and the 

 only other poisonous species common in this part of Baluchistan. 



G. G. JOLLi^ Oapx., I.M.S. 



Kacha Thana, 2nd September 1912. 



No. XXVIII.—'' POISONOUS " LIZARDS IN INDIA. 



With regard to " poisonous" lizards you may be interested to have one 

 little piece of negative evidence. Last Saturday (17th) being Nag 

 Panchami up here, some of the servants went round showing a number of 

 snakes and a "gubera" (young Varanus). We were assured that this was 

 deadly poisonous, but after it had been on show for about three hours — 

 with a string tied round its middle — it apparently got annoyed and 

 turned round and bit the man in his finger. The unfortunate man sucked 



