MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 765 



11th November, 1897. — Black circle is now complete, entire top of head is 



grey, the isabelline is confined to very narrow streak at base of bill. 

 1898. — The above two were brought alive to Karachi, and were kept together 

 in a large cage. In the hopes of getting them to breed, I placed twigs 

 and straw in the cage, the female as the breeding season commenced, 

 began to pick these up in her bill and carry them about the cage 

 apparently desirous to build, but unfortunately the male was accidentally 

 killed. The female I sent to the Bombay Natural History Society in 

 ■ whose charge I trust it is still living. 



' In 1890 I presented a male of this species to the Lon^lon Zoological Society 

 it died in 1894 or 1895. The opportunity io study the anatomy of these birds 

 was no doubt taken advantage of, the information thus obtained together 

 with my notes, will, I hope, lead to their correct position being determined. 



W. D. GUMMING, C.M.Z.S. 

 Karachi, 20;!^ June, 1899. 



' No. VI.— TWO UNUSUAL SPECIMENS OF TROPIDONOTUS 



STOLA TUS. 

 A specimen of the above was brought to me on 15th April, 1899, killed 

 in a crevice of rock, where it was lying basking outside Chakdara fort. It is 

 singular in having only 7 labials, the 3rd and 4th entering the eye on one 

 side, and 8 on the other, with 4th and oth entering the eye. In addition it 

 has 4 postoculars on the right side, 3 on the left, and I have just got another 

 specimen in Eangoon, 15th June, 1899, with 4 postoculars on the left side and 

 'd on the right. 



F. WALL, Capt., I.M.S. 

 Rangoon, 22ncl June, 1899. 



No. VII.— DURATION OF PARTURITION IN THE DABOIA. 



(_Vipej-a russdlii.') 



Yesterday there was brought to me a female Daboia, which measured 4 ft. 

 6 inches, which for this part of India is large. 



As the snake was of great girth, I opened her and took out 63 young ones. 

 Some of these, though quite perfect and fully coloured, were still coiled in 

 egg shape, and surrounded by a very thin membrane or the remains of it ; 

 others were absolutely at liberty, and I cannot help thinking that if the 

 snake had been brought to me as soon as she was killed, instead of four 

 hours after, a number of the young ones would have emerged alive. I 

 measured five or six of them taken at haphazard ; the longest was 10 inches 

 and the smallest 9 inches. What I want to ask is this, whether, in the case 

 of viviparous snakes, all the young ones, amounting in this instance to be- 

 tween 60 and 70, are born at one time, or whether, having regard to the fact 



