THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



51 



2nd labial. S«6omZar touches the 3rd labial. Snd labial ^ith a 

 furrow in its upper part directed into the lorealpit. Scales.- 

 Anterior, 21 usually (rarely 23) ; midbody, 21 (rarely 19); posterior, 

 17 (rarely 15). 



Distrihution.—Kha.Bi Hills, Assam, Thibet. 



PoisoTO.— Nothing known. 



Dimensions. — Grows to 2^ feet. 



Oo/o«r.-Variegated greenish and black ; head black, ornamented 

 with yellow; belly mottled greenish and black. 



LACHESISGRAMINEUS-The Common Green Viper or 

 Bamboo Snake. 



IdentiUcation. — Scales 

 15 in the posterior part ^ 

 of the body, supraocular -y^ 

 a single shield, supra- _■« 

 labials 9 to 12, the 2nd 

 furrowed in its upper 

 half, if co-existing will 

 serve to identify it. 

 Supplementary characters. 

 Internasals. — A pair, in 

 contact, or separated by 

 one or two small scales. 

 Supraoculars. — A single 

 shield. Nasal — Some- 

 times united with 1st 



jTnd 



Fig. 34. — Lachesis gramineus (nat. size) 

 (Variety from Western Ghats.) 



labial, sometimes distinct ; small scales may or may not be in- 

 tercalated between it and the 2nd labial. Subocular maj ot ma,j 

 not touch the 3rd labial. 2nd labial with a furrow in its upper part 

 directed into the loreal pit. Scales — Anterior, 21 ; midbody, 21 ; 

 posterior, 15. 



Bistribution. — Much the most plentiful and the most widely 

 distributed of our Indian Pit- Vipers. From the Malayan region 

 it extends through Burma, including the Andamans and Nicobars, 

 to the Himalayan region probably as far west as the Sutlej River. 



