298 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI. 



Oligodon suhgriseus. 

 Natives called this " Choorta," but they confuse it, I think, with 

 Lycodon aulicus which is universally called by this name. I got 4 

 specimens, one live adult was an active, and restless little creature, 

 wriggling constantly from my grasp, but offering no malice. The one 

 caught on the 14th March was evidently a hatchling. It measured 

 4i|", about « quarter the length of a good sized adult. All belonged 

 to var A. (Boulenger)'*. The nasals are peculiar, and appear to me to 

 be divided into 3 parts by a Y-shaped suture, the arms of which are 

 wide, and the nostril is slit-like and occupies the anterior arm. 



Zamem's mucosus. 



This is called " Chayra" by the natives. Of the 56 specimens, the 

 sex was unrecorded in 19. Of the remainder, 19 were males, and 18 

 females. 



It would appear from the accompanying table that it was most 

 abundant in the cool weather, but this conclusion must be made with 

 reserve, as I discouraged the capture of this species. I think it is pro- 

 bably equally in evidence all the year round. 



Frogs, and especially Rana tigrina, seemed to form their staple diet. 



The only two pregnant specimens were obtained in August and 

 November, the eggs numbering 13 and 11, respectively. Though I 

 have always failed to make one menace me in the open, even when at 

 bay, 2 specimens I had in captivity showed themselves extremely vicious 

 hurling themselves repeatedly against the glass of their cages in their 

 endeavours to strike at me. Both, too, during these outbursts of anger 

 gave vent to a peculiar noise. I have never heard any other snake 

 produce, resembling that scolding sound made by cats when brought 

 to bay. CoinciJent with this remarkable sound, and probably in 

 some way concerned in its production the neck, and upper body 



* Cat., Snakes, Brit. Mus., Vol. II, pp. 243-4. 



