580 JOURNAL. BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI. 



just about double their length in the first year of life. Six examples in 

 July ranging between 12 and 13 inches must have been born about last 

 July. Similarly 8 specimens in August between 12 and 14^ inches in July 

 and August last year. Two more measuring 13|^ and 15 inches in Sep- 

 tember would also point to birth in or before August last year. 



My largest d" was 25 inches. No less than ten $ equalled or exceeded 

 this measurement, my largest being 28;^, 29^, 29^, 29^ and 33 inches. 



Parasites. — One specimen had an unusually large nematode worm in the 

 intestine measuring 3^ inches. 



Colon?', — The variation in the light tones is extreme. Every shade of 

 dirty yellow tinged with green, and different intensities of green being seen 

 in different individuals. Again the darker tones vary from a light brown 

 through every shade to black, and the degree of variegation also varies 

 enormously. Many specimens might have been taken for a dead stick, 

 and some showed a remarkable resemblance to a dead stick covered with 

 lichen. 



Lepidosis. — I only examined this critically in a limited number of speci- 

 mens, but I found 19 scale rows in four of these. The ventrals in the c? 

 were 143 to 154, and in the $ 137 to 148. The subcaudals were 52 to 61 

 in the S and 49 to 54 in the $ . In one the 6th to 9th were entire. 



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

 number 4 to 6, the pterygoid 15 to 19, and the mandibular 13 to 16. 



I think it will add to the interest of this paper to give a list of all the 

 snakes that are known to inhabit the Nilgiris, and Wynaad, including 

 with them all the species known to inhabit the South Indian Plains, since 

 most of the latter are to be met with in the Hills up to 2,000 and 3,000 feet, 

 and some even up to 6,000 and 7,000 feet. 



1 have made the list in the form of a key which will, I think, facilitate 

 the identification of the species to be met with. 



I have eliminated from the list for reasons cited below species which 

 have been incorrectly reported from the area under discussion. 



In a previous number of this Journal (Vol. XVIII, p. 782) I showed good 

 reason to doubt many of the localities attached to specimens collected 

 by the late Colonel Beddome, and presented by him to the British and 

 Indian Museums, and the collection now under review substantiates the 

 doubts previously expressed. 



In the note referred to I showed that no less than eight species which are 

 well known from Bengal, Burma, and Tenasserim are recorded from the 

 Hills of S. India on the sole authority of Beddome. These are (1) Tropi- 

 donotus parallelus, (2) T. subminiatus, (3) T. himalayanus, (4) Lycodon jara, 

 (5) Simotes splendidus, (6) S. Octolineatus, (7) Dendrelaphis caudolineatus and 

 (8) Bungarus fasciatus. To this formidable list should also be added (9) 

 Dendrophis pictus. As was to be expected no specimen of any of these 

 species were brought in this year. 



Simotes splendidus. — This species described by Gunther in 1875 from a 

 single specimen presented to the British Museum by Beddome, and labelled 

 " Wynaad " in his own handwriting remained the only known specimen for 

 many years. In 1899 Colonel Evans and I recorded it (dubiously owing to 

 the previously reported locality) from Sagaing, Upper Burma (Vol. XIII, 

 p. 537 of this Journal). Colonel Evans later (Vol. XVI, p. 362) reported 

 two more from Burma, one from the Ruby Mines District and the other 

 from Yamethin District. I threw doubts on the locality of the type speci- 

 men (Vol, XVIII, p. 782). Later I recorded another from Kyaukse, 

 Upper Burma. (Record of Ind. Mus, Vol. II, p. 105). Since then I have 

 examined two more specimens from Burma, precise locality not recorded. 

 In the meantime no other example has been discovered in the Wynaad. 



