A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 25 



separated, revealing the pinkish colour of the intervening skin, 

 and enhancing the beauty of the little reptile. 



Haunts. — As far as I am aware, it is usually to be found in or 

 near jungle though this may not be very dense. It certainly fre- 

 quently quarters itself in, and about well-populated areas, being 

 frequently found in Cantonment limits, and it is no unusual 

 circumstance for it to stray into habitations. One was killed in 

 the Municipal Library in Almora two years ago, and another in 

 my sweeper's house. This one would expect from the nature of 

 its food. 



Habits. — It is frequently encountered during the day, more 

 often, I think, under these circumstances being disturbed from 

 its lair in brushwood, than actively pursuing its quest for food. 

 More usually in man's immediate environment, it seems to emerge 

 as daylight fails, and is abroad at night. 



One specially interesting trait in its character is its habit of 

 constricting its prey prior to deglutition. Green* speaking of 

 specimens in his vivarium says : "I have several times observed its 

 capture of a small skink (Lygosoma, sp.). On one occasion the 

 Coluber had captured a lizard, and was tightly constricting it, the 

 whole body of the snake being twisted into a complicated knot. 

 It commenced work upon the tail, which became detached from 

 the body of the lizard and was promptly swallowed. The snake 

 then apparently forgot that the largest part of its captive was still 

 enclosed in the folds of its body, and began looking about for 

 another victim. Eventually it re-discovered its original capture, 

 and commenced to engulf it, drawing it gradually through the 

 encompassing coils." 



Food. — Under natural conditions a decided partiality is shown 

 for mammalian fare, but it would seem that lizards, and even 

 snakes are acceptable under press of hunger. Green f has frequent- 

 ly seen his captive specimens eat lizards, as already mentioned, but 

 he remarks that in hunting lizards it is very inexpert, and 

 repeatedly fails to effect a capture. As soon as the lizard stopped, 

 the snake lost interest in it and appeared attracted by moving 

 objects only. Mr. Millard writing to me some time ago said that 

 a specimen in Bombay refused lizards and frogs, but took a mouse 

 that was offered at once. One voracious individual tried on 

 two occasions to eat snakes with which it was incarcerated. Once 

 the species was Chrysopelea omata, and once Dendrophis pictus. 



Breeding. — It is remarkable that of the many specimens that 

 have come into my hands none should have proved gravid. I 

 know nothing of its breeding habits, nor can I find anything in 

 the literature of the species to which I have access. The smallest 



* Spol., Zeylan, Vol. Ill, Part X, p. 157, and Vol. Ill, Part XI, p. 197. 

 f Loc. cit. 



