568 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXT'I. 



potato, and the nature of the material would have remained unsolved but 

 for fragments of snail shell adhering. In one such mass small grits and 

 the remains of insects were discovered evidently the contents of a snail's 

 stomach. 



Breeding. — No gravid 5 came in, but from the measurements of young it 

 would appear that the season for the appearance of the broods is June, and 

 the closely preceding months. 



Groioth. — One young of the year 4^ inches long reached me in June, and 

 another 6^ inches long in August. Four other juvenile examples ranging 

 from 9| to 10-^- inches in August and September, I take to represent last 

 year's broods. My largest specimens were a $ 19^ inches and a c? 17 

 inches. 



Lepidosis. — I found the loreal shield absent in 11 specimens on both 

 sides, and in 3 others on one side. The 6th labial failed to touch the 

 margin of the lip in 17 examples on both sides, and in 2 others on one side. 

 In one the 6th and 7th labials were completely confluent. The ventral 

 and subcaudal counts (including 5 J , and 8 $ specimens in the late Mr. C. 

 Gray's collection) were, ventrals S 142 to 152, 5 152 to 165. Subcaudals 

 were J 31 to 35, $ 27 to 34. 



Dentition. — The maxilla supports 7 to 8 teeth progressively increasing 

 from before backwards. The palatine has from 1 to 3 very small teeth in 

 the middle. The pterygoid has from 4 to 8 teeth after an edentulous 

 anterior space. The mandible has from 9 to II teeth. 



The Wynaad Kukri Snake — Oligodon afinis (Gunther). 



The Wynaad furnished all my 11 specimens. 

 Sexes. — Of 9 sexed, 4 were c? and 5 5 . 



Grototh. — One example 4 inches long was captured in July. All the 

 others were adults, the S specimens ranging between 11^ and 12f inches 

 in length, and the 5 between lOf and 13 inches. 



Colour.- — The young specimen was coloured exactly like adults. In 

 adults the crossbars are narrow and well-defined, and numbered from 

 33 to 41. 



Lepidosis. — Though the loreal is usually wanting I got two examples 

 with a small loreal on both sides, and one with a loreal on one side. The 

 labials were constantly 7, the 3rd and 4th touching the eye. The ventrals 

 in the <S ranged from 135 to 140, and in the 5 from 135 to 141. The 

 subcaudals in the S were 32 to 34, and in the $ 25 to 28. In at 

 least 5 examples the costal rows had reduced from 17 to 15 at or before 

 midbody. 



Dentition. — The maxilla bears 17 teeth progressively increasing from 

 before backwards. The palatine has 1 tooth about its middle. The ptery- 

 goid has 4 teeth with an edentulous space before them. The mandible 

 has 8 teeth. 



The Common Knkri Snake — Oligodon subgriseus (Dumeril and Bibron). 



The total of this species reached 47, and the fact that 41 of these 

 came from the Wynaad is difficult to explain. It evidently does not come 

 much above 5,000 feet elevation. 



