COLLECTION OF SNAKES IN THE NILGIRI HILLS. -565 



Lepidosis. — The ventrals and subcaudals show definite ranges in the 

 sexes ; thus the ventrals in the <S ranged between 133 and 141, in the 5 

 between 143 and 150. The c? subcaudals were 25 to 4C, and the $ 14 

 to 20. 



Dentition. — The maxilla supports 28 to 31 teeth. The palatine array 

 vary from 14 to 18, the pterygoid 32 to 34, and the mandibular 26 to 31. 



The Common "Wolf Snake — Lycodon aulicus (Linne). 



Only 7 of this very common snake were collected, showing that it does 

 not favour the Hills. The highest altitude was 5,700 feet. 



Varieties. — Three conformed to the usual variety typica of Linne, one to 

 Boulenger's variety B, and three others 1 would place with Boie's Variety 

 unicolor in spite of the fact that all had bright yellow collars from which a 

 moustache-like stripe of the same shade was thrown forward to meet in 

 front of the rostral. Otherwise these very strikingly handsome specimens 

 had no trace of marks. The body was a very deep purplish-brown almost 

 chocolate. These three specimens came from Coonoor, the cart road below 

 Coonoor, and from Pilloor. I have never seen this variety before. In 

 Boulenger's variety B, the crossbars were 11 and the first interval involved 

 27 scales vertebrally. In the typical variety the bars ranged from l-l 

 to 25. 



Food. — One had eaten a skink which I think was a Mabuia. 



Lepidosis. — In the two specimens of unicolor (Boio) where the ventrals 

 and subcaudals were counted they were $ 227 and 69, and 222 and 67 (?) 

 In Boulenger's variety B these shields numbered 179 (?) plus 62. 



The Hill Wolf Snake — Lycodon travancoricus (Beddome). 



The 65 specimens collected were as common in the Wynaad as in the 

 Nilgiris. The species is found up to 6,000 feet, and beyond. Three or 

 four of those brought in came with an account of having been killed inside 

 houses in Coonoor. 



Se:fes, — Of 31 in which I have recorded the sex 21 wore c? and 10 $ . 



Colour. — All the specimens that reached me freshly killed had the 

 crossbars, and variegations in the flanks of a bright yellow colour. The 

 yellow in all Lycodonts is very unstable, losing its colour after a few hours 

 immersion in spirit. 



Food. — A large number had recently fed, and a great partiality is shown 

 for a lacertine diet. Frogs of the genus I.ralus had on three occasions 

 furnished the meal. The lizards were of varied sorts. Geckos had twice 

 been taken, Lygosoma ten times, a Mabuia on three occasions, and a 

 Charasia (probably dorsalis ) twice. Two other lizards were too digested 

 to recognise. 



Breeding. — Not a single female specimen showed any enlargement of the 

 ovarian follicles. The hatching season can be arrived at however in the 

 following manner. This species grows to the same length as its congener 

 aulicus, the young of which are known to be 6f to 7f inches long when 

 hatching. Specimens within this range (of travancoricus) were captured in 

 August and as specimens up to H inches were also bagged in the same 

 month it is probable that they hatched out in May if not before. The 

 season then is about May to August. 



Groiuth. — Young of the year measuring 7^ to 7f inches (2) were obtained 

 in June, 8 to 11 inches (8) in July, 7 to 11 inches (11) in August, and 9J 

 to 11 inches (4) in September. Ten other specimens in the same months 

 ranging between 16 to 18^ inches were obviously last year's progeny, and 

 show that the young double their length in the first year of life. 



