HYPNALE NEPA (CARAWILLA).
This snake is found in Malabar, Anamallay Mountains, and Ceylon. According to Günther the largest size is nineteen inches, the tail accounting for two and a half inches. Günther describes it as follows:- "Head broad, triangular; stout covered with numerous small shields above, the crown of the head being normally shielded. Body of moderate length, with keeled scales in seventeen rows. Tail rather short, not prehensile, terminating in a short cervical scale. Sub-caudals two-rowed ** Ventrals 140-152, sub-caudals 31-45 *** Brown or gray, or 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 brown or black, well marked by a darker line running from behind the eye to the angle of the mouth; a more or less distinct white or whitish temporal streak above the dark line, sometimes continued along the side of the neck, with an interrupted brown band above and below it. Chin and throat blackish and brownish, variegated with yellow or grey. Sometimes specimens occur of a more uniform coloration; the dorsal spots on each side of the throat are the most constant markings, as described. All these varieties may be seen in the fotus taken out of the same femalc ** The carawilla is much dreaded, although its bite is but exceptionally fatal to man, and in such cases death does not occur before the lapse of some days." Sir Joseph Fayrer says that he has “had no opportunity of testing by experiment the properties of this snake."
