THE POISONOUS SNAKES OP INDIA. 



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LAGHESIS PURPUREOMACULATUS.— Gray's Viper. * 



Identification. — The nasal shield more or less united with the 1st 



labial, and the scales in 

 the posterior part of the 

 body numbering 19, 

 when taken together 

 will distinguish this 

 from all the rest of the 

 group. 



Supplemeniary char- 

 acters. — Internasals. — 

 A pair in contact with 

 one another, or more 

 usually separated by one 

 small scale. Supraocu- 

 lar. — A single shield. 

 Fig. 31. — Laohesis purpureomaoulatus. (nat. size.) Nasal. — Partially or 

 completely united with the 1st labial; one or more minute scales 

 intercalated between it and the 2nd labial. Suhocular. — Not in 

 contact with 3rd labial, ^nd laiial with a furrow in its upper 

 part directed into the loreal pit. Scales. — Anterior, 23 to 25 ; 

 midbody usually 25 (rarely 23 or 27) ; posterior, 19. 



Distribution. — Bengal, the Himalayas from probably the Sutlej 

 in the West, Assam, and Burmah, Andamans, and Nicobars. lu 

 India it is not met with in the plains, but in Burmah occurs in 

 hills and plains alike. Has been and is frequently confused with 

 L. gramineus. 



Poison. — Stoliczka's observations with regard to the opinion of 

 the natives in the Andamans and Nicobars show that it is not 

 regarded as fatal to man. 



Dimensions. — Grows to 4 feet. 



Colour. — Three varieties are met with : (A) uniform foliage 

 green ; (B) uniform purplish-brown, or purplish-black ; (0) variega- 

 ted, purplish-brown and green. Usually a well-defined white or 

 yellow flank line. Beneath uniform greenish or whitish with 

 sometimes obscure mottling, 



*As it is convenient to give Bnglisli names to snakes, and Gray was the first to 

 describe this viper, I take the liberty of calling it by his name. It is meet, 

 too, that the work of our great herpetologists should be thus memorialised. 

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