December 1, 1870.] THE TIIANATOPHIDIA OE .?BY J. FATHER. 237

of the loreal There is an shield ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. J pit. azygos between the supra-nasals, sometimes two small shields take its place. i / I It has 19 to 21 series of carinated scales. Ventrals 158 to INDIA. THE THANATOPHIDIA OF 170 ; sub-caudals 58 to 71. The scales on the head are small and or keeled. The color like that By J. Fayrek, M.D., C.S.I. smooth, indistinctly of Carinatus, lighter on the sides and belly; the tail is sometimes (Continued from page 219 J red ; a yellowish or brick red line runs along the outer series of scales. TEIMERESURUS. It is common in Assam and the Khassyah Hills. Dr. Stoliczka says he has never observed it in the interior of the K". W. Trimeresttrus Caeinattjs. Himalaya, though he has often found T. Carinatus in those Ti'imeresurus Carinatus. Gray. localities. Dr. S. is doubtful of its being found in Ladak Bicolor. ? ,, Proper, where, according to Gunther, it is met with, as the ? Porphyraceus. Blyth. climate is too cold and the height too great. Indian A tike specimen from the Museum, caught at. Port He says (Journal Asiatic Society, Part ii., No. 3 of 1870, page Canning, near Calcutta, now before me, measures 36 inches in 216) :?" It would be interesting to know which part of the lengtli, and nearly 5 in girth. It is of a dark grass green above, country is alluded to (by Gunther), for Ladak Proper has on and and of a throughout, darker the head tail, lighter green scarcely any arboreal vegetation, except a few poplars and on ventral surface. below, approaching white the There is no willows in the Indus Valley. I passed three times through the outer series mean light colored line running along of scales as Ladak (I the Upper Indus Yalley about Leh, and the The head is broad and on in some specimens. triangular, covered elevated country both sides of it), but I never saw a single with small carinated scales. Tiie second upper labials form ; and the existence of a is of all the most the anterior margin of the loreal pit. There is one well- improbable in a country situated above 10,000 feet, and sub- the so developed azygos shield between supra-nasals. The scales ject to the most rigidly cold climate, that hardly any aboreal on the body are in 25 rows, and are prominently carinated. vegetation can thrive." with Gunther s This corresponds very closely description, T. Gramineus is smaller than T. Carinatus. Gunther says it which is as follows :? attains to 32 inches, whilst he gives T. Carinatus 38. The speci- " forms the from Indian The second upper labial shield front part of the men of T. Gramineus the Museum, from Assam, Those facial pit. Scales in from 23 to 25 rows. on the crown is a small one. of the head and on the temples smnll, strongly carinated; It is described and figured by Dr. Kussell, in his great work to 60. Grass as ventrals 164 to 169 ; sub-caudals 54 green above, on Indian Serpents, Bodroo Pam. Plate 9, Yol. i. a more or less distinct tail yellowish green ; yellowish line runs along the outer series of scales, and is sometimes absent. Tbimeeestxeus Erytheueus. Lower parts greenish white." Trigonocephaly Erythrurus. Cantor. This is found in Sikkim, probably the Hima- species Bengal, Trimeresurus Albolabris. Gray. It resembles T. laya generally, and in Burmali. Gramineus Trigonocephaly Yiridis. Asiatic Schleg. Dr. Stoliczka says Part very closely. (Journal Society, that Russell describes it also is Gunther says (vol. ii., plate 20) ii., No. 3 of 1870, page 218), the distinction chiefly in the head, as Bodroo Pam, a variety of that described in Yol. i., 9. which is short and rather broad and stout, and in the plate large size Dr. " It is very like the two preceding. Stoliczka says that of the He also that there are one supraciliaries. says usually more its head is elongately oval, and depressed than either or two azygos shields; very rarely there is no azygos shield, T. Carinatus or T. Gramineus. The lips and chin are white, the but in such a case the supra-nasals just touch each other, not lateral line is white bordered, with purple or greenish below. forming a broad suture as in T. Erythrurus." on the sides and Color green, lighter belly. Gunther says "The general colour is usually green, sometimes there are largo grass that old females do not show either the white lips or line. blackish spots on the sides ; the lateral line is either well-deve- there is not an or In this generally azygos shield between loped, white margined with coral red below, it is absent. Tail species but Dr. Stoliczka says that there is some- pale, ruddy above, usually equal to one-sixth the total length." the supra-nasals, The scales on the are a times a small azygos shield. body Dr. Stoliczka speaks of young specimen from the hills carinated, in 21 to 23 series. It is said (by about 6,000 feot high, north-east of Simla. strongly Gunther) to the of 33 inches, and to be found in the The Triineresurus Carinatus, T. Gramineus, and T. to grow length Erythrurus found it common Delta of the Dr. Stoliozka in the resemble each other very closely; apparently there is no Ganges. in and or hills about Moulmein, Penang, Java. The certainty in either the number of scales, the presence of the limestone tail. I follow now before me from the Indian Museum, measures 25 side or the rufous tint of the the order of specimen line, the tail is inches in them as inches in and in girth ; 2f length. authorities on Ophiology in describing different species. length G. in a letter to the Rev. I have had no as yet of testing the The Rev. J. naensel, Missionary, opportunity poisonous Nicobar L. Latrobe, about the Islands, says:? power of this snake. C. writing << but Serpents are numerous in some places, they are far less and numerous than on the coast of Coromandel. Trimeresurus Gramineus. abundant to a The chief cause of this difference lam apt ascribe to custom Yiridis. Dand : Kept. Yipera among the natives, of setting the long grass on the Gramineus. Cantor. prevalent ? mountains on fire two or three times a year: as these Trimeresurus Yiridis. Gray. like to lay their eggs in the grass, great quantities of them ? Elegans. ,? * One kind of struck are thus destroyed serpent me here as Shaw. Coluber Gramineus. a a a it is of green color, has broad head and Gunther. singular species; Trimeresurus Gramineus. a red and its bite is so mouth like , very eyes, venomous, There are several in the Indian and one specimens Museum, that I saw a woman die within half an hour after of receiving before me, 18J in length and 1? in girth, which the tail measures 2f, came from Assam. * This can hardly apply to Trimeresuri, which are said to be vivi- In this forms snake the upper labial shield the front part parous. 233 THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE. [December 1, 1870.

the wound. She had climbed a high tree in search of fruit, Mr. Elliot possesses a drawing of a young specimen named T. and not observing the among the branches, was sud- Malabaricus, Jerdon. It resembles one species in colorations, denly bitten in the arm. Being well aware of the danger, she but has a white black-edged temple streak instead of a black immediately descended, but on reaching the ground, rolled to one. Mr. Jerdon does not mention either a white or a black and fro, like one in a state of intoxication. The people brought temple streak." her immediately to me ; and while I was applying blisters and I have since received three specimens of T. Anamallensis other means for extracting the poison, she died in my hands." from Dr. Shortt of Madras. Mr. Y. Ball of the Geological Survey, who kindly furnished A is 19 inches long, of which tail is 2}, and lj inch in me witli the above extract, also refers in his interesting account girth. It is of a light greenish color, with irregularly rhom- of the Nicobar Islands, published in the selections from the boidal black or dark brown marks along the back. records of the Government of India, No. lxxvii, to a remark The head is beautifully marked, marbled with the same colors, by Dr. Eink in his geographical sketch of those Islands, and there is a distinct dark line leading from the eye to the of mouth. published in 1847, to the effect,?" of smaller size are commissure the to be met with in every excursion into the forest, but only It has on the neck 22 to 2G rows of shields, middle of the two species are said to be poisonous I have body 23, further on 21, and posteriorly 16 rows. This is note- (Trigonocephalus.) " only once seen a native with a swollen leg resulting from the worthy, as Gunther says simply in 21 series." 155 ventral bite of a snake; and cases of death from it are said to be shields, 57 sub-caudals, very closely the number given by very rare." Gunther. a inches of which the The snakes alluded to in both these accounts are evidently B, much larger specimen, by 27 long, It is inches in The color is much Trimeresuri, and Dr. Rink confirms the opinion that they are tail is 3|. 2f girth. body same as in but the dark are less deadly than other poisonous snakes ; on the other hand, the A, markings comparatively The head in each is broad and the Rev. Mr. Haensel's account would make it appear that indistinct. specimen very It has 28 series of scales on his and in his specimen was very deadly, and from the description of the triangular. neck, colors, shape of the head, and habitat, he is probably referring the middle of the body only the regular number, 21. There else about it. to Trimeresurus Carinatus or Erytlirurus. The snake may have is nothing peculiar a about the same size as but much been an unusually vigorous one, and the woman may have C is large specimen, B, been small and weak. Other instances of deaths from their decomposed. Its coloration is darker than that of A and B, bites have been recorded, but on the whole the weight of but otherwise all the same. evidence shows them to be less venomous than the vipers. All three have the supraciliary divided into two shields, as noticed by Gunther, p. 387. Tbimebesurus AnamailexsiS. Trimeresurus Wardii, Jerdon. I have had no opportunity of studying the characters of this Gunther of this :?t: indeterminable is another of snake, or of comparing it with Gunther's description, which says Quite Mr. Jerdon's for which he has the name of is as follows :?" The second upper labial shield forms the species, proposed T. Wardii." front part of the facial pit; generally a small shield between the Madras on Beddome, in Quarterly Journal Medi- the supra-nasals. Scales the head and on tho body more Major of cal No. ix., 1862, pago 2, describes it as or less distinctly keeled, in twenty-one series. Yentrals 148 Science, July, follows:?"Greenish, with brown diamond on to 158; sub-caudals 51 to 55. Ground color generally purplish spots to 14 inches a dorsal series back and sides, 12 long. Neilgherries." yellowish green, with of large rhombic black spots, each spot sub-divided by, or variegated with, yellow. Tiu3Iere3uuu9 Andersonii. Upper side of the head marbled with black in adult specimens, ones a lias named what he considers a new uniform greenish in young ; black or brown band runs Mr. Theobald species from the back edge of the eye to the angle of the mouth. after Dr. Anderson, the Curator of the Indian Museum. It Supraciliary with one or two black cross streaks. Belly is described in his catalogue of the Asiatic Society, now numerous Indian 75 to 76. It has 25 rows of carinated yellowish green, with yellow and black spots along Museum, pp. and 182 and 56 sub-caudals in one and its side. Tail black, with yellow green spots : young speci- scales, ventral?, specimen, the dark in the other I 20 of tail The mens may be recognized by temple streak ; but nearly 71 ; girth f, length inches, length 2g-. all the other markings are very indistinct, and the ground second upper labial forms the anterior margin of the pra)orbital an shield. The color color is a reddish olive; tail with white cxtromity." pit; supra-nasals separated by azygos A specimen received with others from the same locality above and below is a uniform rich brown. Belly and sides a with white Found in Assam. A lias a brownish purple ground color, with dorsal series of marked conspicuously spots. with named Mr. Theobald in the same cata- brown ; belly marbled purple ; tail black, with irre- second individual, by spots " gular greenish rings, and with some indistinct small yellowish logue as T. Obscurus, has the back of a uniform brown, sides mottled. brown barred spots. This specimen also has tho supraciliary divided into green, spotted and Belly grtenish white, two, but, nevertheless, we consider it merely a variety of about and spotted, supraciliaries well defined." But it is very doubt- : from T. Andersonii. a dozen specimens from tho Anamallay Mountains the largest ful if this be distinct is 24 inches long, tail measuring 3a inches. Length 20 inches. ... ?< Girth Gunther I have for some time considered this species Museum Specimen 1| says,?" Tail 2?- Mala- as possibly indentical with Trigonocephalus (Cophias) baricus, n. s. ? Jerdon, Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal, 1854, TRIMERESURUS MUCROSQTXAMATETS. xxii., page 523, which is characterized thus:?'Very closely Cantor. allied to T. Nagamarginatus. Has twenty-one rows of smooth Trigonocephalus Mucrosquamatus. The Indian Museum has at no individual of this scales ; ventrals 145 to 149 ; sub-caudals 48 to 53. Green above, present nor have I been able to obtain it. Gunther says it is with brown transverse and zig-zag markings, up to 2 feet long species, in Ilills and Assam. Cantor describes it thus : not uncommon in all the forests of the west coast.' found tho Naga nearly, " " a Brownish with black white-edged covered It is almost to a species from such grey above, rings, impossible recognize imbricate whitish diagnosis. Moreover, Mr. Jerdon describes the scales as smooth, with oval, half-keeled, pointed, scales; whilst dotted with black ; ventrals 218, sub-caudals 91." they aro keeled in one species as in all tho Trimeresuri. beneath, December 1, 1870.] THE THANATOPHOBIA. OP INDIA.?BY J. FAYEEE. 239

" been 22 series of carinated scales on the neck. Gunther says, this species has not recognized by late slightly The fangs Herpetologists," and that tlio typical specimen is lost; only are moderately large. The eye small, with vertical pupil. in are two small ? tiie drawing of it made by Cantor is preserved the library The supra-nasals separated by shields. of the Oxford Museum. PELTOPELOK, GUITEEE. Trimeresurus Strigatus. Peetopeeor Maceoeepis. Trimeresurus Strigatus. Gray. Trimeresuni3 Macrolepis. Beddome. Trigonocephaly Neilgherriensis. Jerdon. There is only one species of this genus known ; it was dis- and Beddome of and is now called the This Bpecies is found on the Neilgherries Deccan, and is covered by Major Madras, common about Ootacamund. Peltopelor Macrolepis. It is arboreal, and nearly allied to A specimen in the Indian Museum measures 14} inches, girth the Trimeresurus; it comes from the Anamallay Mountains, a of darker colored vertebral it is common in the at ; it is brown, with line irregular where, Major Beddome says, grass 6,000 whitish mark on spots. It has a horse shoe shaped the neck. feet elevation. He also procured a specimen from the Pulney below the and There is a triangular dark spot eye loreal pit, Hills, in the moist forests at 4,000 feet elevation. from the to " and a dark brown band leading eye the neck. Major Beddome's description is dark green, lighter below, with black The lower jaw and belly marked spots. The end of the lowermost row of scales on each side white, forming a a it is the tail terminates in scale, in young specimens white. white line on each side of the abdomen, (Gunther calls it a shield, the front rows Gunther describes it:?"The forming part yellow line) scales in 12 to 14 ; the lowest row the smallest, froin the second upper labial. of the facial pit, is separate Two all pointed and very prominently carinated ; head covered with on each side a smaller scale, and supra-nasals in contact, behind very large plate-like scales. Ventral scutse 133 to 138; sub- an scale. two largo scales separated by azygo3 Supraciliary oaudals 53 to 56 pairs ; rostral triangular, erect." The largest behind the ventral. was shield narrow ; in large shields specimen examined by Gunther 21 inches, of which the the head is covered with The whole upper surface of small, tail measured 4f inches. ten labials nearly smooth, scales. Nino or upper becoming keeled in GRAY. smaller in size, behind scales distinctly twenty-ono HALYS, sub-caudals 31 to 40. but has two in It series; ventrals 136 to 142, Tail This genus species Hindostan, i3 characterized in a short conical scale. broad obtuse head, covered with shields. There are 23 slightly prehensile, terminating by its Dr. series of carinated scales sub-caudals two rowed tail It is a small snake, the largest specimen Gunther has to 27 j terminates in a examined being 19 inches in length. short, not prehensile, spine. describes T. Neilgherriensis, :? Major Beddome (Jerdon) Haeys Elliottii. ,c 23 rows of Dark brown with black markings; cariuated The first species is one found in the Neilglierries, and de- scales ; scuta; 142 ; scutelloe 36." scribed by Mr. Jerdon, who named it Trigonoce'phalus Elliottii. It is the same species. (Journal, Asiatic Society, Bengal,xxii., 1851, page 523.) "Form scales in 23 ventral shields Trimeresurus Monticoia. massive ; rows; 151; sub-caudals 43. Olive green above; white beneath ; two feet Pareas Maculata. Gray. pearl long and fine from the Indian Museum before upwards." There are two specimens in the lower of the and Found slopes Neilgherries. both from 23 inches in length 3 inches in me, Darjeelmg, There is no specimen of this snake in the Indian Museum. The tail is in girth. 3^ length. on and Beddome for the account in I depend Gunther, Jerdon, The other is 27 inches in length and 2 inches girth. front of the of it. The second upper labial forms the pit. There sometimes a are two small shields behind the nostril, small Haeys Himalayanus. The scales on the head are uzygos shield below this. smooth, Affinis. Gunther. are Trigonocephaly those on the cariuated. There body slightly twenty-three Museum 41. A from the Indian before me measures series. Ventrals 137 to 141; sub-caudals The supra- specimen 23 inches in length, 2i in girth. Gunther's of ciliaries are very large. description " broader it it is: Snout of moderate length, than long, with the The coloration in one is pale witha varies, specimen brown, shield brown nose rather protruding ; rostral oblique, higher than vertebral row of large, square, dark blotches. Alon<* dark frontals well developed, not broken up into smaller the sides a row of small dark spots. Belly mottled, a pale broad; shields. The anterior frontals short, transversely produced, temple streak. which is also from and in the sides, both taken together form a sort of The larger male specimen, Darjeeling, is tapering blackish ash color with crescent. Posterior frontals large, somewhat pointed in front, of a dark brown or almost the rhom- behind. Vertical and as usual in boid the vertebra. and rounded supraciliaries patches along rounded. middle of the this rather small, Five upper is a mark in the neck like a genus; occipitals There peculiar U, with color. a sixth and seventh being confluent tho which is of a or whitish labials, temporals, yellowish of both the Museum the second is small, not entering the margin the facial pit, This is a Himalayan species; specimens There is a series of but it i3 found also in the third enters the orbit. three referred to came from Darjeeling, Nepal, large other the two hinder of which form a of and in Khassyah and parts of the temporal shields, portion Sikkim, probably those and the the ; the space between temporal occipital is Eastern Himalayan range. lip female covered with small scales. Body of moderate length, 1 have also received a very fine living ( specimen of rounded, it its middle is covered with 23 series of keeled scales. T. Monticola from Dr. Stoliczka, who brought with him from strongly to 166 anal entire ; sub-caudals 43 to near a house in Ventrals 162 ; 51. The it was in October Rungby, Darjeeling; captured a Dark 12 miles S. E. of tail terminates iu long spine. brown, with large band- 5,000 feet above the sea, and about Darjeeling. across the back these are It is 29 inches of which the tail measures 3 inches, like spots spots very indistinct long, the and in differing from ground color, and visible at the thickest part of the body 3i girth. It is of scarely becoming their black almost a with by edges ; belly marbled cinnamon grey color, beautifully marked square dark only entirely black, with a with A broad blackish band ruus from spots; the head is of a dark brown, metallic lustre, yellowish. the eye the series of temporal shields to the of the and the U shaped mark on the neck very distinct. There are along angle mouth 240 THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE. [December 1, 1870.

it has a narrow black and white edge above and below, and is developed foetus, five inches long, and in another seven eggs, which did not show of better defined in the young individual than in the old one. any development embryo. "The Carawilla is much its bite is but Lower labials marbled with yellowish and blackish." It is very dreaded, although fatal to and in such cases death does nofc common all over the North-west Himalayas. Dr. Stoliczka exceptionally man, " occur before the of some says especially between 5 and 8,000 feet, but on the Ilatu lapse days." I have had no of the mountain near Kotegurh, and about Serahan, I observed it as opportunity testing by experiment of this snake. high as 10,000 feet. It feeds principally on mice." The properties it in his Indian Yol. 22. largest specimen he saw was 34 inches. In describing the Russell describes Serpents, ii., plate \ Dr. Stoliczka charactcr of H. Himalayanus says :?"The upper snake varies from ground color of this brownish green to almost brownish black, but generally with some lighter spots, that of the bands or marblings, and lower part is of a greenish yellow purple tinge, the purplish color sometimes predominat- ing, especially on the sub-caudals; the whole of the lower side is more or less strongly marbled with greenish black, rarely is the under side nearly all black, but the chin is always yellowish. The upper labials are yellowish white, and in of continuation this colour, there is in younger specimens a very conspicuous whitish lateral band occupying the base of the ventrals and the adjoining row of scales. In old specimens, this lateral band is only indicated on the throat, becoming obsolete on the body." He also says :?" All the specimens which I examined had only 21 series of scales. One nearly full grown, from the neighbourhood of Kotegurh, (north-east of Simla) measures 25?, of which the tail is 3j, terminating with a very small single sub-caudal scale. Ventrals 160, sub-caudals 42." " It is met with on the paths generally after rains and in shady places between overhanging forest trees." I have no information as to the degree of venomous power it possesses. Hypnale, Fitz. This genus has only one species, the Hypnale Nepa or Carawilla of Southern India. Hypnale Nepa. Coluber Nepa. Laur. Carawilla, Davy. Cophias Hypnale. Merr. Tent. Trigonacephalus Hypnale. Wagl. Trimeresurtis Cfyloneusis. Gray. Trigonocephalus Zara. Gray. I have had no opportunity of studying this snake from nature, but Gunther gives the following description of it:? " Head broad, triangular; snout covered with numerous small shields* above, the crown of the head being normally shielded. Body of moderate length, with keeled scales in 17 rows. Tail rather short, not prehensile, terminating in a short conical scale. Sub-caudals two rowed. Ventrals 140 to 152, or 6ub-caudals 30 to 45. Brown or grey reddish olive, with a double dorsal series of brown or black spots, the spots of both sides sometimes confluent into cross bands. Sides and belly finely marbled and dotted with brown or black. Upper lip a darker brown or black, well marked by line running from the mouth : a more or behind the eye to the angle of less streak above the distinct white or whitish temporal dark line ; sometimes continued along the side of the neck, with an inter- Chin rupted brown band above and below it. and throat blackish or brownish, variegated with yellow or grey. Some- times spechnens occur of a more uniform coloration ; the dorsal a of whitish on spots, the dark temporal line, and pair spots eacli side of the throat are the most constant markings. Other specimens are flesh-coloured, with small black markings as described; all these varieties may be seen in foetus taken out of the same female." It is found in Southern India, Malabar, and the Anamallay Mountains ; also in Ceylon. The largest specimen Gunther has seen is 19 inches, the tail measuring 2? inches. It is vivi- parous. Gunther says lie has found in one female five perfectly