614 JOURNAL, BOMBA Y NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



These parasites may attain a length of 8 or even 10 inches when extended. 

 Dr. Annandale had them identified for me, and they were reported as a species 

 of Pterocercus (larval forms of a tapeworm). Another common parasite is a 

 small ascarid or round worm which inhabits the stomach (and upper part of the 

 intestine?). It is frequently found in clusters attached firmly to the coats of the 

 stomach, and the individuals of each colony vary a good deal in length. Some 

 attain a length of 5 inches, I measured one 5x inches. This parasite sets up 

 a chronic inflammatory thickening of the gastric coats. Sometimes the stomach 

 becomes very much thickened, and indurated like cartilage. At the same time 

 it is often puckered up, and distorted, and the surrounding tissues are often 

 bathed in a watery dropsical fluid. This worm has been identified for me 

 through Dr, Annandale as Kallcephalus viUeiji. Larval and immature forms 

 of another ascarid worm were found in the stomach and mesentery. A fourth 

 parasite, which is less common, is frequently found attached to the outside 

 coats of the intestine, or the lining membi-ane of the abdominal cavity, 

 This is a maggot-like white parasite which has been also identified for me by 

 Dr, Annandale as Forocephalus hrotali. I have figured this curious creature 

 showing the hooks by which it attaches itself. 



Trojjidonotus himalayanus, Gthr. 

 I collected 15 specimens, 10 from Dibrugarh, 3 from Jaipur, 1 from Sadiya, 

 and 1 from near Tinsukia. 6 of the 8 specimens sexed were $ $,"2 $ $. The 

 largest was a $ 2 feet 10 inches, the tail being 8g inches. The total length 

 of a ^ in which the tail was 8i inches was 2 feet 6| inches, so that it is obvious 

 that the tail is longer in the <J. The specific name is unfortunate for this 

 snake is by no means confined to the Himalayas, nor is it exclusively a hill 

 snake being found in the B:-ahmaputra Valley at some distance from Hills 

 (25 to 35 miles at least), I obtained more than one specimen alive, but could 

 not get them to bite me though they raised themselves, and flattened the neck 

 in the manner so typical of the Tropklonoti. More than one specimen had 

 recently fed, on two occasions a frog had been taken, in another a small toad 

 {Bufo imlanost ictus). A hatchling was captured alive on the 26th of July. In 

 this, and in another specimen that measured 1 foot 4:^ inches the collar was of a 

 bright orange colour. In larger specimens this tones down to a cinnamon brown. 

 The collar is bounded with black fore and aft. The brilliant vermilion 

 band behind the collar, breaking up into a chequering, which I remarked 

 upon in specimens from the Khasi Hills in this Journal (Vol. XVIII, p. 319) is 

 not seen in specimens in the Plains. The scales where they are overlaped are 

 of a very beautiful greenish blue colour which sets ofE the snake to great 

 advantage when it dilates itself under excitement. All the specimens were 

 very dark, in fact blackish with a tinge of olive, and the costal series of spots 

 were of a cinnamon hue. One specimen was disturbed from beneath a box 

 inside a bungalow. The ventrals in a $ were 172, and in ^ ^ varied from 

 168 to 173, The subcaudals in one $ were 86, and in 6 ^ ^ 89 to 95. There 

 were 4 postoculars on one side in one example. I noticed that the double 



