766 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XU. 



that a large number of them were clear of the egg membrane, while others 

 were not, the maturer young come out an appreciable time, say 24 hours, 

 before their immaturer brethren. 



Is it possible that some of the young might have emerged even before the 

 snake was killed ? 



E. C. CHOLMONDELEY. 

 Indoke, \st July, 1899, 



The point raised by Mr. Cholmondeley is an interesting one, as very little 

 appears to be known regarding the duration of parturition. Some years ago 

 a Daboia, kept in one of the glass cases in our museum, gave birth to a 

 number of young ones, and I remember that on the following days several 

 others were born, but the actual time over which parturition extended was 

 unfortunately not recorded, 



EDITOR. 



No, VIII.— OCCURRENCE OF THE GREEN-BILLED SHEAR-WATER 



{Puffinus chlororhyncus) ON THE MEKRAN COAST. 



A specimen of the Green-billed Shear-water (^Puffinus chlororhyncus) was 

 shot last month (May) at Ormara on the Mekran coast, about 125 miles west 

 of Karachi, and as I am not aware that this bird has been noted from these 

 parts before, it may be of interest to record its occurrence. 



In the dried skin, which has been sent to me, the bill is dusky-brown ; middle 

 and inner toe and inner side of tarsus light drab ; outer toe and outer side 

 of tarsus dark brown. 



The bird is a sooty colour throughout, very dark on the upper parts from 

 the base of the bill to the tail inclusive, the latter is nearly black ; under- 

 parts more ashy, gradually darkening towards under tail coverts ; chin 

 greyish ; wings, sooty brown above, light colour underneath. 



Length— from dried skin— 14-5" ; wing l(l'4" ; bill, front r25," gape 1-75"; 

 tarsus 1'75" ; middle and outer toe including claws 2'4" each ; inner toe and 

 claw 1*9" ; tail about 4" from vent, 



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

 Karachi, JwZy, 1899, 



No. IX.— NOTES ON A VERY UNUSUAL SPECIMEN OF SI MOTES 

 VIOLACEUS OR A POSSIBLE NEW SPECIES, 



This snake is one of five specimens given to me by Vety.-Capt. F. H. 

 Evans, A.V.D, 



They were all killed whilst clearing a patch of grass where he intended 

 camping at Minglegon near Rangoon, Of these, two turned out to be 

 S. cruentatus and two S. violaceus. Capt. Evans tells me there were 



