MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 503 



remaining one, viz., angusticeps is known from Baluchistan, and the N.-W. 

 Frontier of India (Malakand). It is one of the smallest snakes that occurs 

 within our Indian limits. The longest record is 15 inches, and though 

 there are a few snakes shorter in adult life I am not aware of any that are 

 more slender excepting perhaps Typhlops braminus and Callophis trimaculatus . 



Sir H. McMahon says " In life this little snake is most active and lively, and 

 assumes a most pugnacious attitude when teased." 



F. WALL, Major, i.m.s., c.m.z.s. 

 Dibrugarh, Assam, 28th July 1907. 



No. XVII— NOTES ON THE INCUBATION, AND BROOD OF THE 

 INDO-BURMESE SNAKE-LIZARD OR SLOW WORM 



( OP HIS A UR US G RA CILIS). 



On the 10th of September a cooly in Shillong brought me a female slow 

 worm (Ophisaurus gracilis) with 5 eggs with which she was reported to have 

 been found, but knowing that the European Slow worm {Anguis fragilis) is 

 viviparous in habit I was inclined to be sceptical. 



The eggs, much sullied by the soil beneath which they were deposited, are 

 probably originally white. They are soft shelled, and the investment much 

 like white kid. The poles are isomorphous, and the dimensions of one egg 

 typical of the rest are if x i| of an inch. 



One egg was opened, and a living embryo extracted which measured 4| 

 inches, the tail accounting for 2| inches. On the 19th of September one egg 

 hatched, the youngster measuring 4£ inches, the tail 2f inches. On the 18th 

 another of exactly similar proportions emerged, and the last which hatched 

 appeared on the 20th and was 4J inches long. The hatchlings are lively 

 little creatures betraying some timidity but making no attempt at self- 

 defence. In colour they are very different from adults. The prevailing hue 

 is a pinkish-buff or dove colour with a metallic sheen. A conspicuous black 

 band originating in the lore and passing through the temporal region is 

 continued along the side of the body to the tail tip. The nostril is black. 

 A fine black line originating beneath the eye passes along the lower lip and 

 extends as far back as the vent. Behind a median nuchal black spot three 

 series of smaller black spots progressively diminishing in size pass down the 

 dorsum, the median row being continued well on to the tail. Che beautiful 

 metallic blue dorsal marks seen in adults are conspicuously absent. 



Investigation proved that these little creatures are endowed with the same 

 means of escape from the egg as young snakes. As I had young snakes of Tro- 

 pidonotus piscator hatching contemporaneously I was able to compare the two. 



