COLLECTION OF SNAKES IN THE NILGIRI HILLS. 679 



minute spots of pigment, but the yellow is evenly laid on like a varnish 

 except where the scales overlap, and here the blue is cserulean. On the 

 last row of scales the yellow is laid on very thickly giving a bright yellow 

 eftect, the blue beneath being entirely masked. 



Food. — Mice were victimised by six specimens. In the case of a young 

 specimen 9^ inches long, a frog of the genus Iialus had been eaten. 



Breeding. — No $ showed any sign of enlarged follicles, which makes it 

 probable that the birth of young occurs at much the same season as in the 

 next species. 



Growth. — Four examples measuring from 8^ to 9^ inches in August and 

 September were probably born early this year. Five specimens between 

 lof and 16f inches I think represent the young of the preceding year. 

 My largest c? was 20| and my largest § 24^ inches. 



Lepidosis. — The ventrals ranged between 148 and 165, and the sub- 

 caudals from 45 to 63. In one the 2nd to 6th, 30th, 33rd to 35th, 37th to 

 39th, 41st to 48th, 57th and 60th were entire. 



Dentition. — The maxilla holds a pair of fangs. The palatine teeth 

 number 3 to 5, the pterygoid 10 to 14, and the mandible 10 to 13. 



The Anamallay Pit Viper. — Lachesis anamallensis (Gunther). 



This species yielded no less than 193 specimens, and it would appear to 

 be the commonest snake in the Wynaad, Mr. Wapshare alone sending me 

 in 143. It favours a belt between about 3,000 and 5,000 feet, and evi- 

 dently does not come much above the latter limit. 



Sexes. — Of 62 sexed, 34 proved to be J and 28 9 . 



lood. — A large number had recently fed and were enormously distend- 

 ed in many cases. Kats and mice appeal to the gastronomic tastes of 

 adults, small frogs and lizards to that of the juvenile ranks At least 4 

 had eaten rats, and 27 mice. Packs of hair were found in the stomach, 

 intestines, or cloacee of many others. A large lizard Calotes versicolor 

 was removed from one adult. Young between 8 and 14 inches had taken 

 small frogs on six occasions, a Lyyosoma once, and another small lizard on 

 another occasion. The species obviously plays a considerable part in keep- 

 ing down the numbers of murine vermin. 



Breeding. — I received 5 gravid specimens, and in each case the cyoesis 

 was in a very early stage. One 24| inches in length between the 25th 

 July and 3rd of August contained 8 small, spherical, and enlarged 

 follicles about | of an inch in diameter. Another between the same dates 

 measuring 19^ inches, showed 3 follicles in about the same stage. One 

 between the 9th and 16th of September contained 8, and another 6 

 enlarged, spherical follicles about f of an inch in diameter. A fifth mea- 

 suring 28;^ inches between the 20th and 30th of September, showed 16 

 follicles enlarged to about f of an inch in diameter. The lengths of two 

 of these were not recorded, but the series shows what 1 have on previous 

 occasions drawn attention to, viz., that with snakes as a general rule the 

 older the snake the more prolific its tendencies. It is not likely that any 

 of these would have produced their broods before about February or 

 March next year. 



The season for the birth of the young is between February and August. 

 The gravid $ 19i inches long points to sexual maturity at the end of the 

 second year of life. 



Growth. — A specimen 6f inches long in August was obviously but recent- 

 ly born. One 9^ inches long killed between the 25th of July and 3rd of 

 August, and two specimens 8| and 9| inches long in August, I reckon, 

 were born in February and March this year, assuming that the growth in 

 this species is as E have found it in so many other species, where the young 



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