.>64 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVL 



Growth. — What I take to be last years broods were represented by two 

 specimens 15 and 15| inches long. My largest example measuring 33 

 inches was a 5 , another of the same sex was 31|^ inches, and a third 

 29| inches. The largest S was 29^ inches. 



Parasites. — I found two young specimens infested with small scarlet 

 mites {Trombidia) which had fastened themselves chiefly on to the skin 

 between the ventral shields. These I submitted to Dr. Annandale. 



Dentition — The maxilla holds 12 teeth after which there is a short gap, 

 followed by two large teeth more than twice the length of the preceding. 

 The palatine teeth number 7, the pterygoid 13 to 14, and the mandibular 

 16 to 19. 



The Olivaceous Smooth Snake — Rhabdops olivaceus (Beddome). 



Five specimens of this uncommon species reached me, all from the 

 Wynaad. The belly is a dirty yellowish hue peppered with olive-green 

 especially at the bases of the veutrals; and subcaudals. A black narrow 

 zigzag line runs along the ventrals. Three were S and two 5 . 



Breedinr/. — My largest example captured in September was gravid. 

 Eleven follicles (five in one ovary and six in the other) being distinctly 

 enlarged. The specimen measured 30f inches. 



Lepidosis. — -The ventrals in the males ranged between 210 to 213, in the 

 females 202 to 207. The subcaudals in the males ranged between 69 and 

 74, and in the females 63 to 64. The prseoculars (two, Boulenger Cat. 

 Snakes Brit. Mus., Vol. I, page 300) are subject to variation. In three 

 specimens the loreal by a confluence with the lower prpeocular touched the 

 eye, and in one specimen the prsefrontal touched the eye owing to the 

 confluence of this shield with the upper prteocular, in addition to the 

 confluence of loreal and inferior prseocular. This is the subject figured 

 by me. 



Perrotet's Dwarf Snake — Xylophis perroteti (Dumeril and Bibron). 



Of the 61 specimens collected many came from the Wynaad. It is 

 common at an altitude above 5,000 feet as will be seen from the numbers 

 taken at Kalhatti, Frith Hall and Coonoor. Mr. Eogers too told me that 

 his specimens were all taken from the higher parts of his estate. Of 47 

 sexed 18 were S and 29 5 . 



lood. — It subsists entirely on earth worms, and every specimen opened 

 had either fragments of worms in the stomach, or the intestinal tracts 

 loaded with mud from this diet. One specimen 21 inches in length was 

 found to contain a very large worm (Moniliventer grandis ? ) 12^ inches in 

 length lying fully extended in the gullet and stomach. 



One specimen 20 inches in length was recovered from the stomach of a 

 Hemibungarus niffrescens. 



Breeding. — Four gravid females were included in the total, all killed in 

 July. They varied in length from 17 to 21 inches. The eggs found within 

 numbered from 6 to 12 and contained minute embryos estimated at about 

 one inch long if unravelled. The eggs were one to one and a half inches 

 long. One specimen contained a single large unfertilised egg. I think the 

 ecrgs are probably deposited as such, but cannot speak positively. 



Growth. — I had eight j'^oung of the year ranging between 5^ and 8 inches 

 in June, July and August. Fifteen other examples between 12 and 16 

 inches were probably last year's brood. The 5 attains to a greater length 

 than the d" . I had no c? specimen exceeding 20 inches but six 5 were 

 21, 21, 21, 21f, 23i and 23f inches long, respectively. 

 The tail is distinctly longer in the S • 



