SNAKES. 201 
her coils from time to time, to take her temperature. All these 
things, more or less, militated against her chance of success. The 
eggs, however, for the most part were fertile, though none were 
hatched. The Python’s temperature, during the incubation, rose 
higher than that of the den in which she was confined. 
The following table shows the variation of the temperature 
(Fahr.) between the female Python, her mate, and her den: 
Date Temperature on the Temperature between 
: surface of Body. the Coils. 
Temperature 
in Den. 
| 1862. Male. Female. Male. Female. | 
_ ov | | —e—— 
February 12.. 70°2 73°0 74°8 81°6 58°6 
| 
February 23.. 71°8 75°0 74°0 83°2 6574 
March2 ....| 71°6 84°0 76°0 26°0 | 60°0 
March 9 .... 72°8 79°5 Not taken. 86°5 61°0 
March 16 .... 72°4 77°6 77°6 86°0 66°0 
Each Snake had moss under it and a rug or blanket over it. 
The male Python showed not the slightest interest in his wife’s 
occupation. During her attempted incubation of her eggs the 
female Snake was exceedingly savage, and very impatient of all 
interference. 
Python sebe, because of its hardiness, docility, and cheapness, 
is very commonly exhibited in travelling menageries, and there 
are generally several specimens of this Snake in the various 
zoological gardens. 
The arrangement of the head-shields of the West African 
Python is very like that of the head-shields of the Reticulated 
Python ; but the scales of its body are smaller than are those of 
its near relative just mentioned, being placed in from eighty-one 
to ninety-three rows. There are from 269 to 286 ventral scales ; 
the anal scale is either entire or divided ; the sub-caudals number 
from sixty-three to seventy-seven. 
The ground-colour of the body of the Python sebe is pale 
brown above, with, according to Mr. Boulenger, ‘‘dark brown, 
