7b' 



VIPERA HRACHYURA. 



VIPERA RUSSELII.— Russelian Viper. 



Spec. Char. — Body brownish yellow, with acutely ovate 

 blackish dorsal spots, edged with white ; lateral spots 

 smaller and ovate. 



Katuka Rekula I'oda ; Russet, Ind. Serp. p. 10, t. 7. 



This is a large and elegant species, measuring from lour to live 

 feet in length. Tt inhabits India, where it appears to be one of 

 the most common, as well as most noxious, of the serpent tribe. 

 Its colour is a beautiful pale yellowish-brown, marked throughout 

 the whole length of the back with a chain or series of rhomboidal 

 or somewhat ovate spots of a deep brown colour, paler in the 

 centre, and surrounded by a narrow line of white. In some parts 

 these spots are nearly confluent ; on each side of the body is a row 

 of brown oval spots, smaller than those on the back, and besides 

 these a few still smaller transverse marks arc sparingly scattered 

 on the sides ; the under part of the body is white, with a few dusky 

 spots ; the head is rather large, and covered with small ovate 

 highly carinated scales ; the snout obtuse ; the mouth wide ; the 

 fangs are large, and, as in several other poisonous serpents, double ; 

 a smaller fang being situated close to the larger one on each side. 



Dr. Russel informs us, this species is scarcely less commonly 

 met with in India than the Cobra di Capello ; but from its not 

 being carried about, like that and some other snakes, as a public 

 show, it is not so universally known either among the natives or 

 Europeans. A stout dog bitten in the thigh by one of these snakes, 

 was instantly infected, seized with paralysis, and expired in twenty- 

 six minutes. 



VIPERA BRACHYURA.— Puf Adder. 



Spec. Char. — Body yellowish-brown, variegated with 

 transverse angular or undulated black and whitish 



