SNAKES OF CEYLON. 529 



(&) Local : It is a denizen of the plains, but flourishes at a 

 considerable altitude. Dr. Henderson told me that he had 

 met with it in the Palni hills up to 7,000 feet, and in the 

 Nilgiris up to 6,000 feet. I found it quite common in the 

 Western Himalayas (Almora) at 5,000 feet and over, and 

 Stoliczka reported it in Kashmir up to 6,000 feet. I have had 

 specimens from Hakgalla 5,700 feet. 



In parts ot India it is extremely common, and in other parts 

 decidedly the reverse. In parts of the Punjab it is specially 

 abundant, and Fayrer mentions that about Umritsar as many 

 as 471 specimens were brought in one day in 1866. It is very 

 common on the west coast of India and the hills in that 

 region. Mr. Millard tells me it is plentiful about Bombay. 

 I found it common at Cannanore, in the NUgiri hills, and on 

 the Mysore plateau (Circa 3,000 feet). Ferguson reported it 

 common about Travancore State. It is common all over 

 Southern India, and extends in the north as far as Lower 

 Bengal. It is abundant in Burma, and in some parts, viz., 

 Mahlaing, Magwe, aiid Mayo-thit, it is so plentiful that the 

 natives working in crops wear woven grass shoes as a 

 protection against it. Halyand Ferguson report it abundant 

 in Ceylon, and Tennant and Basset-Smith mention that it is 

 particularly so about Trincomalee. On the other hand, it is 

 extremely rare if it occurs at all about Delhi, and from there 

 all along the Ganges valley to about Behar . I can find no record 

 of it in this area, and in a collection of 704 snakes obtained 

 by me at Fyzabad, United Provinces, not a single specimen 

 was included. In Northern Bengal it is very rare, and it 

 does not appear to extend to Eastern Bengal, nor does it 

 occur in Assam. 



Genus ECHIS. 



(Greek " echis " viper.) 



General Characters. — Small snakes barely reaching 2J feet 

 in length. Head su bovate or pear-shaped ; snout very short, 

 without canthus, obtusely rounded terminally. Eye large, 

 with vertical pupil. Nostril la.teral, and placed rather high. 

 Commissure of the mouth depressed opposite the position of 

 the fangs. Neck small. Body stout, cylindrical, attenuating 



