65 



meal before skin-shedding, and being unable to cast 

 the epidermis they died from suffocation. 



When there is likelihood of a snake being E>ifficuity in 

 unable to cast its skin all danger of death may be '" casting, 

 eliminated by just scratching the epidermis with 

 the point of a knife along the ventrals. This 

 causes no pain, as the epidermis when ready for 

 casting is merely a thin substance, something like 

 tissue paper, and contains no nerves. By slitting 

 this open it not only eases the snake, but enables 

 the latter to rub it off easier. 



When at Madras I saw a large collection of ^''^^^^^^^J" *^^ 

 live snakes in the Museum. There were, as far as Museum. 

 I can remember, two NaiaTripudians, one Cerberus 

 Rynchops, one Tropidonotus Piscator, one 

 Lycodon Aulicus, one Lycodon Carinatus, one 

 Python Molurus, one Zamenis Mucosus, one 

 Helicops Schistosus, two Vipera Russellii, one 

 Echis Carinata, one Gongylophis Conicus (a 

 somewhat large specimen), several Dryophis 

 Mycterizans, one Bungarus Ceylonicus, one 

 Tropidonotus Stolatus, one Ancistrodon Hypnale, 

 and several other varieties. 



The two cobras looked out of condition, and 

 were suffering badly from tics. The other snakes 

 seemed to be doing well, but I do not remember 

 seeing any of striking dimensions. The python 

 was a young one of about eight feet in length. 



At the Madras Zoological Gardens I saw a 

 most magnificent specimen of python, and was told 

 by the keeper that it was 27 feet in length, and 

 judging from its thickness his estimate must have 

 been very near right.* These large pythons are 

 not nearly so common as is commonly imagined, p^^^ons 

 and it is seldom that one finds a python in cap- 



* There is at the Zoological Gardens at Regent's Park a very 

 fine Python Reticulatus of 25 feet. 



