ON THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 



723 



The sexes. — The sexes are of similar length when hatched, and 

 remain so apparently till the fourth year. In the fifth year, if one is 

 justified in judging from such meagre figures as appear in the 

 attached table, the males appear to outstrip the females, as the four 

 specimens over four feet in length in which I have recorded the sex 

 were all males. 



The longest females I have records of were 3 feet 6 inches, 3 feet 

 6i inches, and 3 feet 7f inches, all from Fyzabad. 



Males appear to be more numerous than females, for of 67 specimens 

 in my notebook where sex is recorded 40 were males. 



Maturity. — Judging from the table appended, the gravid female 

 reported by Blanford in Bilaspur as 2 feet 11 inches long in June, 

 must have been beginning her third year of life. 



Anal glands. — The anal or scent glands secrete a blackish material 

 of the consistency of a soft ointment. This has a peculiar, rather 

 disagreeable, but not very penetrating, odour. The glands in both 

 sexes are active at all seasons, and at all ages from the time of hatch- 

 ing, so that I am inclined to question the popular belief fostered 

 by Darwin * among others that they are concerned with the sexual 

 functions. 



The following table gives the growth of the krait as shown by my 

 records extending over several years. The specimens have been 

 collected in various parts of Peninsular India, North and South. 

 July and August are selected as the months furnishing the largest 

 material. 



Deacent of Man, p. 539. 



