782 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



nearest tree. Mr. E. E. Green says that specimens he has kept 

 have always been quite gentle and never attempted to bite when 

 handled. Dr. J. R. Henderson, in a recent letter to me, remarks 

 that in captivity it becomes very tame and inoffensive. Mr. Ingleby 

 quoted by Ferguson says that it is a very lively and plucky snake 

 and the fact that Mr. E. E. Green found one devouring a large blood- 

 sucker lizard (Galotes versicolor), a most truculent creature when 

 brought to bay sufficiently establishes its reputation for courage, 

 when hunger presses. 



Habits. — In a former paper of this series I made some remarks 

 upon " flying " snakes (Under Chrysopelea ornata in Vol. XIII). 

 It is probable that the common Indian bronze-back can undertake 

 feats of the same nature, for it is endowed with the same peculiar 

 ridges on the belly, that are seen in Chrysopelea ; further, its close 

 ally BendropMs pictus is one of those snakes that has been reported 

 to spring (fly) from heights. So far as tristis is concerned, how- 

 ever, the evidence, though suggestive, is not so well authenticated. 

 Though neither Dr. Willey nor Mr. E. E. Green are aware of any 

 native stories of springing or " flying " snakes in Ceylon, Pridham* 

 speakes of a snake called by the natives " ahedoella," and says : 

 " The movements of this snake are rapid, and from its power of 

 springing it is called a flying snake." The evidence seems pretty 

 clear therefore that a "flying" snake exists in Ceylon, but there 

 would appear to be a mistake in the diagnosis of the species for 

 "ahedoella" is the Singalese name for the green whip-snake. 

 (Dryoplius mycterizans) a far commoner snake which has no reputa- 

 tion for springing as far as I am aware in any of the Provinces 

 included within its wide distribution, and has an entirely different 

 conformation of belly shields. So far as Southern India is con- 

 cerned Dr. J. R. Henderson tells me that " There is a common 

 belief that D. pictus (by which he means D. tristis) can jump, but 

 I have never seen it do so." 



Its movements are surprisingly rapid as already remarked. It 

 is truly astonishing with what speed it can ascend an almost bare 

 tree trunk from the ground, and disappear in the branches above. 

 I have seen this several times, and it has always struck me that its 

 speed in ascent is as rapid as its movements along the flat. 



* Ceylon and its Dependencies, p 750. 



