98 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NArURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XJX. 



from the intestine, for it is nlways seen on that f a"t of the shell 

 which lies in contact with the gut. is ahsent when the gul is 

 empty, and present in some Pg<:;s in the string corresponding to a 

 loaded part of the intestine. It may he originally derived fmm the 

 pigment in the skins of the creatures ingested. When laid the grey 

 colour is never visihle as far as I am avvai'e. 



When deposite;! the eggs measure fr-in rather less than one to 

 one and-a-quarter inches and are rather more than iwioe as long as 

 their breadth. They contain no trace of an embryo. The periods 

 of sestation and incubation are not known to me. 



Ilalrhlliigs. — Tnese escape from the egg doubtless by means of the 

 fcE'al tooth, though I have fiiled to find it in the many examples 

 1 have examined. The ajipe ranee of the eggs af er ev:icuation is 

 sim'lar to that seen in other species. A clutch of five was brought to 

 me on the I8th July last ye;ir found in a Planter's bungalow. A 

 single hatch ling was present with the eggs, all of which, except a 

 non-fertile one, were empty. 1 give a drawing of these eggs to 

 show the cuts in the shel s through wh'ch the young had gained their 

 liberty. Each cut was as clean as if done with a sharj) knife. 



The young when they esc'a[)e fr.,m the egg vary in length from 6| 

 to 7f inches, or about one-third the length of a large adult. They 

 are exactly like most adults in colour and markings. 1 have seen two 

 of the sam3 hro:)d, one with very distinct yellow bars, in the whole 

 body-length, whilst the otlKjr had a few rather obscure bars anteriorly 

 only. One of these was very vicious, and bit me more than once 

 when handling it. It attacked, killed, and soon swallowed a young 

 gecko 1 gave it. 



EGGS rP LTCODON AVLU VS. 



Tosllow incised aperinres of exit mado bj- hatcblings. 



(■at, sizt). 



