302 JOURNAI, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVI. 



I had alive never attempted to bite me though it struggled vigorously 

 in my grasp. The labials in all were 9 with the 5th and 6th touching 

 the eye. 



The scales two headlengths behind the head number 15 in all, midbody 

 15 in all, two headlengths in front of the vent are 9 in 5 male speci- 

 mens, 11 in the female. 



Tropidonotus stolatus. 



This snake is called " Therlian " by the natives. 



Of the 50 specimens collected 17 were females, and 20 males. The 

 sex was not recorded in the other 13. 



It was far more abundant in the rains, 39 of the specimens being 

 obtained in June and July, whereas in the dry season, it is hardly to 

 be found at all, only 2 specimens were brought me during the four 

 months January to April. 



The only two occasions on which I found anything in the stomach 

 frogs had been eaten, and in captivity they ate frogs readily. 



Coition was accomplished in the early rains (May and June), and 

 the eggs from 5 to 10 in number were deposited in July and August, 

 hatching as late as November. A hatchling measured 6J inches, or 

 about one quarter the length of a large adult. Specimens I caught, 

 and had in captivity allowed themselves to be freely handled, and 

 rarely attempted to bite. Some when flushed evinced alarm by erect- 

 ing themselves, and flattening the forebody. 



All specimens were adorned with blotches or spots of pale blue, or 

 vermilion in the anterior part of the body. Of the 50 specimens 16 

 were adorned with red, 31 with blue and in 3 this is not recorded. 

 Of the 16 red, 6 were males, 7 females, and 3 unrecorded. Of the 

 31 blue, 14 were males, 10 females, and 7 not recorded. With refer- 

 ence to the coloration of snakes Darwin* quotes Dr. Giinther as having 



•* Descent of Man," p. 538. 



