THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 46» 



Young. — The hatchlings referred to already, acquired in Tra- 

 vancore, measui'ed on an average 2 feet 5 inches.* In Regent's 

 Park in 1881, the eggs which had been incubated for six weeks 

 were found to be decomposing, and the contained embryos were 

 then 11 inches long. The young hatched in Paris in 1841 are 

 reported to have sloughed in from 1 to 14 days, prior to which 

 they refused all food. 



Growth.- — The Travancore brood, it is reported, grew 1 1 inches in 

 4 months, and it would appear from this that growth in early life 

 is more rapid than later, for Colonel Pollock f states that a speci- 

 men he had that was 1 2 feet long when he got it, grew about 3 feet 

 in 2 years. The smallest incubating or gravid female with which 

 I am acquainted was 1 1 feet long. This was shot on her eggs in 

 April 1903 near Colombo, and I measured the skin which was in the 

 possession of a Eurasian lad, an enthusiastic collector and lover of 

 snakes. It is difficult to say precisely at what age this length 

 would be attained, but I estimate that the snake would be beginning 

 its sixth year. I find that most snakes double their length in the 

 first year of life, so that a specimen 2^ feet when hatched would 

 be 5 feet at the end of the first year. If one allows a growth of 

 3 feet for 2 years, the rate given above by Colonel Pollock, 1 1 feet r 

 would be attained at the end of the 5th year of life. A specimen 

 in Regent's Park was 12 feet long when her eggs were laid. After 

 maturity considerable growth continues for some years in most 

 cases, but in captivity some examples grow little if at all after 

 acquiring a length of 12 feet or less. Thus a specimen captive in 

 Travancore for 1 2 years 9 months measured but 9^ feet when it 

 died.§ 



Age. — Very few records seem to have been made of this in- 

 teresting matter. Gunther however mentions a python attaining 

 the age of 1 9 years in Regent's Park. It was 4 years old when 

 acquired, and lived a further period of 15 years in captivity. 

 The various breeding events known to me are tabulated as fol- 



* The Field, 3rd October 1903. 



f Spoi-ting 1 days in Southern India, p. 223. 



§ The Field. 1 6th March 1904. 



