NOTES ON SNAKES COLLECTED IN FYZABAD. 105 



Of the 91 specimens only 11 exceeded 2 feet in length. Seven of 

 these were females, 3 males, and I was not sexed. The largest male 

 was 2 feet If inches, and. the largest female 2 feet 6^ inches. 36 

 were a not sexed, being either liberated, mutilated, or decomposed. Of 

 those sexed 20 were males and 35 females. 



No female was eggbound ; the breeding season was evidently past. 



The secretion of* the anal glands in both sexes is pale yellow in 

 colour. The male clasper is thickly set from base to extremity with 

 small recurved claw-like processes. 



The young of this year measured in August from 8| to 11-| inches. 



The navel involved 2 or 3 ventrals in 3 females, 12 ventrals inter- 

 vening between it and the anal shield in 2, and 13 in 1 specimen. 



The young of last year varied from 1 foot 3f inches to about 1 foot 

 6f inches, so that they grew about 7 inches in their first year. 



Food. — I found many with a material in gastro too digested to 

 recognise, until I found one with a freshly ingested shrimp, when I 

 realised from the colour, texture, and fishy odour the true nature of 

 the contents of other stomachs. 



Habits. — From what has already been said of the circumstances attend- 

 ing the capture of my specimens, it is very evident that the species is 

 aquatic or subaquatic in habit, a fact endorsed by the nature of its food. 



Many of these specimens were brought alive, and undamaged, and I 

 found them very quiet inoffensive little creatures, both young and old 

 alike. They tried hard to escape, but when molested repeatedly 

 betrayed alarm by erecting the body, and nervously protruding the 

 tongue in the manner so typical of snakes. This organ is red at the 

 base, and has black tips. 



During erection the head and forebody are carried in a manner 

 reminding one of a camel, and sustained in this attitude whilst the 

 creature rhythmically inflates itself in usual anguine fashion, but it 

 does so only to a moderate degree. During this effort the relatively 

 constricted neck and forebody become more apparent and the body is 

 seen to be fusiform in figure. I rarely succeeded in provoking one to 

 bite, though they evinced much objection to being grasped. 



Colour. — It is one of the most strikingly beautiful snakes I know. A 



moss-green hue often very bright in quality adorns the crown, and merges 



laterally into chocolate or cardinal. This chocolate or cardinal forms 



a postocular streak abruptly limiting the bright canary or white of the 



14 



