8 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



of the keels in snake's, is also seen in desert snakes like the horned 

 vipers (Cerastes) that lie partially concealed in the sand. The 

 movements of Russell's Earth Snake are laboured, and slow, and 

 it is impossible for the creature to proceed at any pace other than a 

 crawl. The reason for this is apparent when the snake is laid on 

 its back. The shields on the belly are very narrow compared to 

 those of colubrmes and vipers. They only occupy some two- 

 fourths of the middle of the belly breadth, and as the ribs are 

 attached to them, those bones are very much bowed, leaving one- 

 fourth of the body on each side, without a support. 



As a snake moves on its ribs, the body which in this snake is 

 unusually massive has only half its breadth supporting it during 

 progression. 



Food. — Its food is almost exclusively of a mammalian order. 

 Those I had in captivity in Trichinopoly persistently refused frogs, 

 and lizards, and my servant told me their usual fare was squirrels 

 (Funambulus palma/rum). Following his advice I gave them squir- 

 rels whenever I could get them, and they were always taken 

 eagerly. 



The distension of a snake about 20 inches long after swallow- 

 ing a squirrel may well be imagined, but although the process of 

 incorporation was a protracted one, no misadventure occurred. 

 On two occasions in Oannanore specimens were brought to me 

 that had been discovered in the act of devouring full grown 

 squirrels, in one case the snake was only 1 foot 4^ inches long ! 

 A third specimen contained a relatively large mammal in its 

 stomach which appeared to be a squirrel. Mr. D'Abreu fed his 

 specimens on mice which they ate with avidity, and grew very fat 

 upon. A captive specimen in Madras .Museum ate in one year 57 

 mice, another 65 rats, and a third 51 mice, and 1 rat in the year. 

 A specimen brought in to me at Cannanore had eaten a large frog 

 (li'a mi tigrina), but reptiles are not usually acceptable. Mr. 

 D'Abreu says that a lizard of the genus ( -alotes was very promptly 

 despatched by one of his captive specimens but no attempt was 

 made to eat it subsequently. Mr. Millard tells me that one in 

 our Society's room tried to eat a young snake (Tropidonotus ]ti.<- 

 eator), and the Revd. J. Castels, S.J., told me of one he had in 



