152 JOURNAL, BOMB Al NATURAL RIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



However, one day, one of the local Gowdas, or village headmen, came and 

 announced that he had learnt, of the whereabouts of a Nagin — the local 

 name for the Hamdrayad — from a man who, when coming along a short cut, 

 as a guest to some marriage festivities at the Gowda's house, saw it lying 

 on the top of a heap of dead leaves by the side of the path. 



The Gowda added, that he would find out from this man, the exact spot 

 vfhere the snake had been seen and take me to it, as soon his marriaee 

 festivities were over, promising me that we should find it still there. The 

 path, he added, had in the meantime been closed, as no one dared to use it. 



Some days later, the Goivda returned to say that he had just come from 

 seeing the snake which was lying on the heap of leaves just as Avhen it 

 had first been seen. It did not take us more than a few minutes to reach 

 the spot. The mound of leaves, which was about 2 feet high with a cir- 

 cumference of about 8 or 9 feet, stood in the rai or evergreen jungle at 

 the bottom of a decline in a small dry nala, about 30 yards below the road 

 leading up the Potoli Ghat, and within a few feet of the footpath already 

 mentioned. 



I had no means of catching the snake alive, so had taken my gun with me. 

 The light in the rai was none of the best, at the time, but after a little 

 manoeuvring, I managed to catch light of what appeared to be the snake's 

 head, and fired. There was much struggling amongst the leaves when I 

 did so, but a second shot into the heap put a stop to this. 



On hauling the snake out of the leaves I was disappointed to find that it 

 was a comparatively small one being only 9'-3" in length, and judging from 

 its colour which was jet black with irregular yellow bands about ^ inch 

 wide, at 8" intervals all down its body and tail, it was apparently a young 

 one. The throat was yellow and it had all the necessary scales, to prove it 

 was a Hamadrayad. 



On seeing it at close quarters, the Gowda, and in fact all the natives 

 said that this was the Kali or Derad Nagin, and known as such by its dark 

 colouring.' The other, light coloured one, they called the Nagin, not being 

 aware that in reality, they v/ere one and the same snake, at different stages 

 of its growth, although accorrling to Wall, the adults vary a good deal in 

 colour and are sometimes coloured like the one J shot. 



I have never seen noticed anywhere the habit these snakes appear to have 

 of lying up in heaps of dead leaves which are undoubtedly collected to- 

 gether for the purpose. The Goicda who seemed to be well acquainted with 

 the habits of the snake said that they invariably make their home in such 

 a heap. 



I examined the heap of leaves carefully but found nothing in it, nor did 

 I succeed in finding another snake. 



On dissection I found the stomach quite empty. Its body was covered 

 with a large number of tics, holding on below the scales. 



L. L. FENTON, Lt.-Col. 



Maksh Hall, South Molton, N. Devon, 

 22wrf October 1916. 



XII.— FOOD OF THE BULL FKOG {RAN A TIGRINA.) 



■ I am sending you two frogs and I hope they reach you alive. I was in 

 my room dressing for dinner when I heard a noise similar to that made 

 by a frog when caught by a snake. I caUed my servant and told him to 

 take a lamp and kill the snake. He and two other Kalasis went to do 

 this — the boy then returned and told me that it was not a snake but 

 another frog biting a frog and eating it. I went out and there I saw the 



