THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



65 



small, completes the circumference of the nostrils. Supralahiah — 

 Many, the 5th largest, and in contact with 2 scales behind. 

 Sublinguals. — One large pair, in contact with two scales on each side 

 behind, and with 4 infralabials. Gostals. — Two heads-lengths behind 

 the head 24, midbody 21, keels present in the anterior three-fourths 

 of each scale where they dilate, and end before the apex ; no 

 oblique rows. Ultimate row but slightly larger than those immedi- 

 ately above it. 



Dimensions. — It measured 24 1- inches, the tail accounting for 

 3 inches. 



Colour. — Dusky khaki with a series of broad short transverse 

 bars on each side of the spine. These are alternately dusky sienna, 

 and dusky bluish grey. Outside these bars are other bars, and 

 spots of dusky bluish, and a fine speckling of blackish. Head 

 uniform. Tail blackish at tip. Belly white. The iris was a dull 

 yellow ochre. 



The snake appears to have harmonised very strikingly with its 

 surroundings, for the soil around was of the same hue as the 

 ground colour, and many stones were scattered about tinged with 

 brown and bluish of almost the same shades as the markings on 

 the back. 



AZEMiOPS FE^E-Fea's Viper. 

 Identification. — (1) scales in midbody 

 17 {see fig. 7). (2) 6 supralabials of 

 which the 3rd only touches the eye. 

 These two points when co-existing will 

 serve to differentiate this from every 

 other Indian snake. 



Sub 



Fig. 4" — Azemiops fese (after 

 Boulenger> 



8uppleinenta/ry characters. — Frontal 

 unusually broad, about 8 times the 

 breadth of each supraocular. Nasal 

 touches 1st and 2nd infralabials only. 

 Loreal present. This is the only 

 poisonous snake with large shields on 

 the head in which this shield occurs. 

 Prceoculars 3. Avery unusual feature. 

 (Except the pit-vipers I know of only 

 one other snake where these shields 



