The Elapine Poisonous Snakes 



One of them was opened and found to contain a translucent 

 embryo about two inches in length. The remainder were placed 

 in damp wood pulp in the temperature of an ordinary living- 

 room. From the batch another was opened on the 6th of August. 

 It contained a white and perfectly formed embryo, 5} inches 

 long, showing the scalation to be well formed, but without trace 

 of pattern. The specimen was translucent and when held to 

 the light, the heart, performing its pulsations, could be clearly 

 seen. The five remaining eggs hatched between the 26th and 

 28th of September. The \'oung were about 7 inches long and 

 one-eighth of an inch in thickness. They were very active, 

 and when removed from the hatching tray with a pair of forceps, 

 grasped the steel tips in an endeavour to use their diminutive 

 fangs. 



THE SONORA CORAL SNAKE 

 Ehps eiiryxanthus, (Kennicott) 



The size is smaller than that of the preceding species. The 

 tail is short and blunt. 



Coloiiraiion. — The general character of the pattern is quite 

 distinct from that of the Harlequin Snake. 1 he colours are 

 disposed in rather broad rings of crimson or brick-red, and equally 

 broad rings of black, which are separated by yellow rings. Com- 

 pared with E. jiilvhis, however, the red and the black rings will 

 be seen to be proportionately narrower and the yellow rings 

 much broader. On the forward portion of the body, above, 

 the red rings are very narrowly edged with black. They con- 

 tain no black spots or blotches as do the red areas on the allied 

 species. 



The forward portion of the head is black. On the back of the 

 head is a broad band of yellow, followed by the first red ring of 

 the body pattern. The latter character at once distinguishes 

 this species from the Harlequin Snake. 



There are three broad black rings on the tail, separated by 

 narrower ones of yellow. 



Dimensions. — The only specimen of this rare snake available 

 to the writer for measurement, has not attained its full size, 

 but the figures given well demonstrate the general propor- 

 tions: 



401 



