104 COPHIAS HALYS. 



COPHIAS RUSSELIL— Russell's Cophias. 



Spec. Char. Body pale brown, with cinereous and 

 brown oval spots on the back and sides ; Jiead dark 

 brown, with a cinereous streak from each orbit ; abdo- 

 men yellowish, dotted. 



Russely Ind. Serp. ii. t. 22. 



Length rather more than one foot. Inhabits the Phillipine 

 Islands. 



COPHIAS LEBETINUS, 



The Lebetina or Somniferous Snake. 



** Head shielded. 



Spec. Char. Body grey, with a quadruple series of 

 alternate transverse spots, inner row of spots yellow, 

 lateral ones black. 



Coluber lebetinus ; Lin. Syst. Gmelin, p. 1094 ; Forsk. Egypt, p. 8, 13. Vipera 

 lebetina ; Baud. Rept. vi. p. 113. Cophias hypnale; Merrem, Amph. 



Inhabits Northern Africa, and Southern Europe and Asia. 



COPHIAS HALYS.— The Halijs, or Siberian Cophias. 

 Spec. Char. Body short and thick ; colour above pale 



grey, with transverse olive-brown spots ; abdomen 



whitish ; head sub-cordate. 



Coluber balys; Syst. Nat. Gmelin, p. 1094. Pallas, Voy.en Russie, riii. p. 93. 

 Vipera balys, Daudin, Rept. vi. p. 129. 



A very rare species ; a native of the driest parts of the southern 

 deserts of Astracan ; thicker, shorter, and more poisonous than 

 our common viper. It was first discovered by the celebrated 

 Professor Pallas, who describes it as frightful, from the thick-set 

 subcarinated scales rising on its back. 



