172

[JUNE, 1873.

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

With all this, I have never been able to find

out satisfactorily what the Phursa is".

I have

been shown at least a dozen different snakes

by that name, the most of them tree or water snakes and as harmless as frogs.

A long thin yellow snake called Korad is much dreaded in the open stony parts of the Puna district. The people say: “He does not

give a man time to drink water.” This is cer. tainly the most active ground-snake I have seen.

LEGEND OF WELLUR.

By DINSIIAI ARDESHIRTALEYARKAN, SECRETARY, KATHIAWAR EKSAMPI RAIASTHANI SABHA. If a traveller in Southern India is induced to

visit Vellur, it is specially because of its forts and its temple. We ascended one of its hills

called

“Sajra,” on which there still exists an ancient fort. There is a sort of rough track which leads to the summit in about an hour. Surveying the town from this height, you find it lying close upon

the base of the Sajra, irregular, scattered, and

closely surrounded by high hills except towards the north. There you find the broad bed of the river Palár stretching as far as the eye can reach. Over it runs a lengthy viaduct of about a hundred low arches. The river is dry, but here and there are canals dug for cultivators, dhobis, and

dered unwholesome by the growth of weeds and the rubbish which continually falls into it, would be drinkable in time of need. There are lasting springs in it. Besides Sajra there are other hills close to it. On two of these are also ruined forts. The high est of all is Gojra, whose peak is narrow and pointed. To ascend Gojra is much more difficult. A tunnel is built in it, which, it is said, leads to all the other mountains, but no one ventures to go in.

These hills, forts, &c. were one of the principal means by which the former rulers used to defend themselves. The height, the positions, and the number of the hills were sufficient to harass the

most patient.

others. The expansive bed and the beautiful bridge lying amidst numerous glittering nalăs testify to the dimensions to which the river at tains during the rains. Before the bridge was

Besides these forts, at the extremity of Sajra hill below, is another fort built of large black

built intercourse with the surrounding places was

miles; a very wide ditch surrounds it, full of pure

very difficult: it took a whole day to cross the river, and four pairs of bullocks were required to

Water.

drag a laden cart through it. We have scarcely

Small Cause Court, Sub-Magistrate's and Teh

seen another town so picturesquely situated. It is pleasantly buried amid clumps of trees of

sildar's

Kacheris,

Offices.

In the middle is an open space where a

various sorts. Interspersed here and there about the outskirts of the town are paddy and sugar cano fields. Above all is a fort, but nothing of it remains except the surrounding walls. Bro ken cannon lie here and there half-buried. Large balls are also found scattered and rusting. You sometimes alight on artificial caves. In the very centre of the peak there still exists a deep tank. The water in it, though unused for years and ren

building was erected by Government many years ago, in which to confine princes who fell pri

• Natives are generally very ignorant of natural history,

and often give the first name that occurs to them for any a species of Lycºdon, the “Gajoo Tutta' ( Kaju T at à)

tapers suddenly, sharp-pointed; length 2 inches. The colour-the head very dark, obscure, green, without spot. The trunk (including the tail), almost black, with a dark-greenish cast. The ridge of the back variegated

of Russell, who describes it as a Coluber, “the head broader

with about twenty narrow spots, composed of longitudinal,

than the neck, ovate, depressed, obtuse. The first pair

short, dusky-yellow, white and black lines. Along the sides, and half down the tail, are interrupted rows of short, white lines; and from the head to the anus, on each side

of the less common plants or animals.

The Phu r s a is

of lamina between the nostrils, small, sub-orbicular; the next, pentagonal ; the middlemost lamina of the three be

tween the eyes, broad-lanceolate; the last pair, semi-cordate. The mouth small; the lower jaw shorter than the upper. The teeth below, numerous, close, reflex; two palatal rows above, close also and numerous, but the anterior in the marginal row, longer than usual. The eyes lateral, small, orbicular. Nostrils close to the rostrum, gaping. The trunk round. The scales, broad-ovate, imbricate. Length. 14 inches. Circumference near the head, 1} inch : the thickest part of the trunk about 2 inches, and diminishes

inconsiderably till near the tail.

The tail very small,

slabs, which is oblong, occupying about four

Inside the fort are found the offices of the Pension,

Post, and other

soners into their hands. As you enter the fort,

opposite you stands a large Hindu temple which in extent and workmanship excels both the grand temples of Konjivaram. It has several

gigantic “Mandaps” of superior carving. In them are many dark cells for gods. The gods of this temple were those who lived in water, hence

close to the scuta, there is a regular row of black dots. The scuta and squamae are of a bluish white colour.” In an observation, he remarks that the “colour resembles the

Gedi Paragud”, of the Coromandel Coast, which is the Maner or Manyár (Bungarum candidum) of the Konkan; “but the variegating spots are very different,” and “from the want of poisoning organs it may be inferred that it is not so formidable as, by the natives, represented.”—(Account of Indian Serpents, p. 22).-ED.