272 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY , TV. XVII. 



about by the absorption of the vertebral row into that adjacent to it 

 on the left side. This occurs about the middle of the body, usually 

 behind the midpoint, sometimes however in front of it. Very shortly 

 afterwards a further reduction takes place to 14, and this is brought 

 about by the absorption of the 3rd row above the ventrals on both 

 sides, into one of the adjacent rows {i.e., the 2nd or 4th). Should 

 another reduction take place, as sometimes happens in the posterior 

 part of the body, the 3rd row is again absorbed into the one above 

 or below, and 12 rows are established. It rarely happens that the 

 first two steps occurring closely together as they do are reversed. 

 Supracaudals are in even numbers. 6 rows in the middle of the tail, 

 and dwindling to 2 at the tip. The absorption of these rows follows the 

 rule, and the two uppermost or each side, keep on coalescing at each 

 step. Keels end where the rows count or 8. Apical facets are 

 present in all rows to the tail tip, Ventrals. — 190 to 208 (Boulenger), 

 somewhat angulate laterally. Only a part of the last row of scales 

 visible on each side when the specimen is laid on its back. Anal 

 divided. Subcaudals 95 to 135 (Boulenger), divided throughout. 



Our plate is excellent. The only remark I have to make is that 

 the chin is shown too receding, and is probably to be explained by 

 some distortion from pressure against the glass in the specimen 

 selected in the Museum. 



ADDENDA. 



Sine: 3 ; writing the above I have acquired some additional information 

 with which I can supplement my original remarks. 



(1) Mr. Millard tells me he once saw a large dhaman up a wild 

 date palm tree on Malabar Hill, Bombay, and from the excitement 

 shown by the small palm squirrels there was no doubt what it was 

 after. Recently in Fyzabad a specimen G feet 8 inches was brought 

 me which was discovered high up in a tree, the attention of a passer-by 

 having been call-! to it, by the noisy demonstrations of several birds. 

 I found it contained two large chicks each 3\ inches long in the 

 stomach, and a larger one -! inches long in the gullet. They were 

 partially enveloped in their shells, which were of a uniform bright blue 

 colour. They appeared to me to be much too large for crowchicks, and 

 the colour of the ego- was not corvine. 



