THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 59 



and it is probably only to be found at this corner of our Indian 

 possessions. It is a desert form inhabiting sandy tracts. 



Poison. — Nothing is known. 



Dimensions. — The largest specimen was about 2 feet. 



Colour. — Reddish sandy brown, with white edged dark-brown 

 spots along the back. 



VIPERA RUSSELLI-Russell's Viper, the Chain Viper, the Daboia. 



The " Tic polonga " of Ceylon. "Kanardi virian " of Tamils in 

 Madras. "Mandali" of Malabar. "Mandalatha havu," and accord- 

 ing to Rice " Kolaku mandala " of Mysore. The " Bora," "Chun- 

 drabora,'' "Siah chunder amaitar," and "Jessur" of Bengal accord- 

 ing to Payrer. The " Katuka rekula poda " of Russell (Coroman- 

 del coast ? ). The " Gunnus " of Bombay. The " Chitar " of 

 Guzerat according to Mosse. The "Khad Chitra" of Dantra 

 District in the Bombay Presidency according to Fenton. I am 

 told the " Korail " of Sind. The " Mwe-bwe " of Burmah. Pro- 

 bably also the " Cobra monil " of some natives as suggested by 

 Jerdon; literally " necklace snake" in Portuguese, and like other 

 names dating from the Portuguese occupation of India, such as 

 " biscobra," its significance has become obscured, and surrounded 

 with mystery by the native mind. 



Identification. — The sublinguals touching 4 or 5 infralabials, the 

 subcaudals divided, and the three series of large dorsal spots when 

 occurring in the same specimen will establish the diagnosis. 



Supplementary characters. — Supraocular a single shield. Nasal 

 touches the rostral and the 1st supralabial. Eye — Diameter exceeds 

 distance of eye to nostril, and is subequal to its distance to the 

 labial margin in the adult ; 2 or 3 rows of scales between it and the 

 labial margin. 4th Supralabial the largest of the series. Sublin- 

 guals touch 4 or 5 infralabials and 2 scales behind. Infralabials 6 

 large normally, the 5th touching 2 scales behind. Scales in mid- 

 body 27 to 33. Ventrals not ridged latei-ally. Subcaudals divided. 



Distribution. — Ceylon. Peninsula India from Cape Comorin to 

 the Ganges. It is, I believe, not found to the North of this River,* 

 and though common in the Irrawady Basin is not known from the 

 Brahmaputra Basin. To the West it extends throughout the 

 Indus Basin from North Sind to the Himalayas. It is chiefly an 



• I am aware of the record by Solater of Purneah, but this solitary record, I think, 

 calls for confirmation. 



