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MISCELLANKHOUS NOTES. 12 
Color. Above, light yellowish-brown, without dorsal spots, but 
with a conspicuous black vertebrai line running the whole length of 
the body and tail, as well as the usual tail bands. Head and neck 
black, with a pale yellowish line along each upper lip, interrupted 
below the eye. Belly coral pink. Tail below, more or less thickly 
spotted with black. 
No. 6 is intermediate between the two forms. The usual dorsal 
dots are present as well as the conspicuous vertebral line. 
Mr. Boulenger ( Cat. Snakes, and Fauna Malay Pen.) gives the 
number of ventrals shields as varying from 205-247. The difference 
in the number in the Siamese specimens is noteworthy. 
Major Wall ( Poison. Terrest. Sn. Brit. Ind.) in his supplement- 
ary characters of identification says :—Anterior sublinguals touch 4 
infra-labials. The difference in the Siamese specimens will again 
be noted. 
Typhlops nigroalbus found in the stomach of No. 4 has not yet 
been recorded from Siam, although I have seen specimens from other 
parts of the country. 
I am indebted to Mr. Boulenger for identifying this species. 
MALCOLM SMITH. 
July, 1914. 
No. XIIL—SLUGGISHNESS OF A PYTHON. 
While working on a hilltop of some 250 metres elevation 
recently, the coolies discovered a python curled up in a small cavity 
formed by big, loose boulders. The cavity was too small for a man to 
enter and since the gall bladder was required to make medicine, they 
finally decided to build a fire of glowing embers in the cavity and 
roast him out. The snake, however, preferred to roast rather than 
face his enemies, who were waiting round the entrance with boulders 
and axes. After some half hour’s time he was so stupefied with 
smoke that a noose was cast over his head and he was ignominiously 
hauled out—offering little resistance. 
It was found that the body was burnt in several places and 
the skin blistered. The python measured just over 4 metres and was 
