Venoms; venomous animals and antivenomous serum-therapeutics . Fig. 29.—Pseudocerastes -persicus.(After Dumeril and Bibron.) The belly is whitish, dotted (c) Cerastes. The vipers belonging to this genus are much more commonin North Africa, and we shall therefore study them in conjunctionwith the African snakes. Cerastes cornutiis alone, the specialhabitat of which is Egypt, is sometimes met with in andon the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. 48 VENOMS (d) Echis. Echis cariiiatus (the Phoorsa). (Fig. 30).—This viper is charac-terised by the subcaudal shields being arranged in a single row
Venoms; venomous animals and antivenomous serum-therapeutics . Fig. 29.—Pseudocerastes -persicus.(After Dumeril and Bibron.) The belly is whitish, dotted (c) Cerastes. The vipers belonging to this genus are much more commonin North Africa, and we shall therefore study them in conjunctionwith the African snakes. Cerastes cornutiis alone, the specialhabitat of which is Egypt, is sometimes met with in andon the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. 48 VENOMS (d) Echis. Echis cariiiatus (the Phoorsa). (Fig. 30).—This viper is charac-terised by the subcaudal shields being arranged in a single is savage and very aggressive, being always ready to attack. Itslength does not exceed 600 millimetres at the most. The colourof the body is grey, more or less dark and adorned with streaks,spots, and dots of blackish-brown. The back displays yellowish-. FiG. 30.—Ecliis carinatns. India. (After Sir Joseph Fayrer.) white wavy lines, forming X-shaped markings. The upper sideof the head exhibits a yellow spot surrounded by brown, and othersmall black spots, the whole arrangement forming a fairly goodrepresentation of a cross. This species is found in India, Persia, Baluchistan, Arabia, andPalestine; while, as we shall see, it also occurs in Africa. It isfairly common in the environs of Aden. THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF POISONOUS SNAKES 49 In moving over the ground a peculiar sound is produced by thefriction of its scales. It is capable of springing with great agilitya fairly long distance on to its prey. When it believes itself indanger it coils up, doubling its body twice in the shape of acrescent, in the middle of which it places its head, ready tostrike. Its venom is very rapid in taking effect. 2.— (e) Ancistrodon. The snakes belonging to this genus of CroialincB are found inCentral and Eastern Asia, but three important s
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