412 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



ing an oval chamber with clear fluid contents, in which was suspended an 

 embryo, coiled upon itself in a spiral manner, each spiral consisting of some 

 three to four coils. The aqueous chamber was itself embedded in the homo- 

 geneous yolk-contents of the egg, which material decreased in amount as the 

 aqueous chamber increased in size to accommodate the growing embryo within. 

 These immature embryos measured about 2 to 2^ inches unravelled. The 

 A ncistrodon himalayanus (in that locality) appears to subsist exclusively on 

 the Bifosoma himalayanus. I found as many as three adult specimens in the 

 intestine of one specimen, but I never found any other creatures digested, 

 either reptile, insect or worm. 



Description, — Length of longest specimen 2 ft. 1^ ins, ; tail li ins. 

 Scales.— Anterior corporeal (one to two inches behind head) — 21, all strongly 

 keeled except last row, where keels are distinct, faint or absent ; present, 14 ; 

 absent, 12, 



Mid corporeal — 21, all strongly keeled except last row, where keels are dis- 

 tinct faint, or absent ; present, 17; absent, 9. 



Post corporeal (one to two inches before vent) — 17, all keeled, last row 

 keels present, 25 ; absent, 1. 



Ventral — (149 — 164) evenly rounded on to flanks. 

 Anal — Single. 



Suhcaudals — (34 — -52) double. 

 Rostral — Broad as high, 



Internasals — 2,, obliquely placed, diverging backwards. 

 Prefrontals — 2, larger than internasals. 

 Frontal and supraoculars. — Subequal, latter not divided, 

 Parietals — 2, larger than frontal. 



Nasals — Variable. Usually semi-divided, a suture running from nostril to 

 first labial. 



(o) A more or less developed furrow, )tot a svture running upward to 



internasals. Thus in (16). 

 (6) Less commonly quite divided (6), In three specimens divided 

 completely on one side and incompletely on opposite. In one 

 specimen semi-divided on one side and undivided wholly on 

 opposite. 

 Nogtril — Almost entirely situated in the anterior and larger half of the 

 semi-divided or divided nasals ; equidistant from internasals above and first 

 labial below. 



Loreal pit — Placed between 3 scales — 



(a) one anterior large and concave, wedged between a supraloreal and 



1st or 1st and 2nd labial ; 

 (h) one superior, fillet-like, and forming the 2nd preocular scale ; and 

 (c) one inferior and fillet-like, forming the 3rd or lowermost preocular 

 scale (though it does not actually reach the eye). The two latter 



