NOTES. 117 



" Spolia Zeylanica," Part III., an example of it has been presented 

 to the Museum by Mr. H. M. Drummond Hay, who found it close 

 to his bungalow at Punagalla, Yatiyantota, in November, 1903. 

 Another specimen had been found by Mr. Hay at Hopewell, 

 Balangoda, on a former occasion. It is distinguished froin its 

 congeners by the presence of two loreal shields and by the dark 

 olive colouration of the lateral portions of the ventral shields above 

 the lateral keels. 



In the letter accompanying this welcome addition to the 

 Museum collection of Ceylon types, Mr. Hay gives interesting 

 particulars illustrating the local distribution of certain snakes. 

 He writes : — " I have had a great many specimens of Dendi'ophis 

 Ijictus brought to me while I have been here (Yatiyantota), but 

 none of D. caudolineatus ;" on the other hand, " on Hopewell I 

 found D. caadolineahis to be a common snake, and I only came 

 across one specimen of D. pictiisJ''' 



Coluber lielena and Lycodon aulicus, both frequently taken in 

 Colombo, occur at Yatiyantota, but apparently not at Balangoda ; 

 at any rate they were not found on the Hopewell estate, where 

 Lycodon carinatua was rather common. The burrowing snake 

 Cylindrophis inaculatus, is another species which is often taken 

 in Colombo and other parts of the low-country (e.g., Tangalla^ 

 Sigiriya) ranging up to the elevation of Kandy, but was not 

 found by Mr. Hay on Hopewell, though very common on the 

 adjoining estate Allupolla, the highest point of which lies at a 

 lower elevation than 3,000 ft. above the sea, lower in fact than 

 the lowest point of Hopewell. 



With the exception of the earth snakes (Uropeltidse), Mr. Hav 

 found that by far the commonest snake on Hopewell was the 

 poisonous pit viper, Aricistrodon hypnale, one of the snakes known 

 as '* karawala " (Sinhalese). Two living specimens of this snake 

 were sent to the Museum in October last by Mr. E.E. Green, who 

 obtained them from Dumbara. One of them died after a few 

 weeks of captivity, but the other survived until near the middle 

 of December, feeding upon insects. It has also been sent to the 

 Museum by Mr. G. G. Ross Clarke from Calsay estate, Nanu-oya, 

 where it is associated with Dipsas ceylonensis. 



5. Symbiosis betiveen Bees and Mites. — A remarkable instance 

 of symbiosis or special adaptation on the part of a host for the 

 accommodation of its parasite has been brought to light in recent 

 years by two independent observers, Messrs. E. E. Green and 

 R. C. L. Perkins. 



