NOTES ON SNAKES COLLECTED IN CANNANORE. 



305 



a 



RBMAKKS. 



10-7-04. 

 15-7-04. 



15-7-04. 

 18-7-04. 



21-7-04. 

 28-7-04. 

 30-7-04. 

 30-7-04. 



Labials 7, the 3rd and 4th 

 touching the eye. Ant. Chins 

 touch 4 labials. 



Contained a frog eaten caudal 

 extremity first. 



Contained 8 eggs, 7th and 8th 

 labials confluent on left side. 



Pregnant, died in my absence. 



Pregnant, discharged eggs later 

 when absent from home on 

 leave. 



The scales in all were alike. Two heads lengths behind the head 19 ; 

 niidbody 19 ; two heads lengths in front of the vent 17. 



Tropidonotus piscator. 



"Neer Kolee" is what the natives call small specimens. This means 

 " Water fowl " and I notice Oates * mentions this name as applied to at 

 least three ducks in Southern India, the ruddy Sheldrake, the Comb 

 duck, and the Spotbill. Large specimens are called " Neer Mandallee," 

 the latter term apparently being equivalent to " snake ". 



Of the 39 specimens, 10 had the sex unrecorded, and of the rest 8 

 were males and 21 females making it appear that females are more 

 numerous. Both my largest specimens were females. Males had 

 longer tails. 



Like the last it is most in evidence during and after the rains. 



Three specimens had eaten frogs, and on more than one occasion one 

 was brought wriggling on a hook which had been baited with a frog by 

 native urchins. It will be noticed from the following table that eggs 

 were deposited in January, and a hatchling appeared in March. 



The scales in all were the same, vh., 2 heads lengths behind the head 

 19; midbody 19; 2 heads lengths before the vent 17. 



• The Game Birds of India, Part II., pp. 92, 103, 150. 



IS 



