THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 95 



broken up into three parts (rarely more). Again in curtus with 

 very few exceptions the suture from the nostril passes to the second 

 supralabial, whereas in hardwichi it passes to the first. 



Habits. — It frequents our Indian Coasts in large numbers. In 

 rough weather in common with other sea-snakes it appears to keep 

 well out to sea, judging from the dearth of numbers brought in 

 from the fishing nets at this time. I have known a specimen taken 

 on land close to a backwater one and-a-half miles from the sea. 

 Out of 84 specimens collected in June and July this year which I 

 sexed 21 were <$ and 28 $ . The tubercles on the scales in females 

 are feeble, but in males are stronger, and on the lowest costal 

 rows in old adults actually spinose. The male when adult has 

 also a distinct swelling at the base of the tail not seen in the 

 female. 



Breeding. — The season for the birth of the young is probably 

 from May to August. I had 12 gravid females from Madras 

 between the 20th June and the 12th of July this year. The foetuses 

 22 in number ranged between 8h and 14 inches. Other specimens 

 already born this year numbering 9, measured from 13f to 17^ 

 inches. From this one may infer that the 17£ inch specimen had 

 been born probably in May if not before, and that the 8f , and 8^ 

 inch specimens would not have been born till August, or possibly 

 later. Seven of the nine young of the year measured from 13 to 15 

 inches, and this taken with the fact that one foetus measured 14 

 inches, makes it appear that the young are about 13 to 14 inches 

 long at birth. They are contained in the usual transparent sacs 

 seen in viviparous snakes, but these are relatively much larger than 

 1 have observed in other species. Most of the sacs were 3 inches, 

 some 4 and one even 4£ inches in length. 



It is the least prolific of all the snakes I know except Uydrophis 

 gracilis. — Four mothers contained but a single foetus, seven con- 

 tained 2 only (one of these an infertile egg also), and one held 4 

 embryos. These mothers varied in length from 27 to 32^ inches 

 and it appears to me that the smallest length would have been 

 attained at the end of the second year of life. If my inference 

 is justified from the figures at my command, this species attains 

 to sexual maturity a year earlier than other snakes whose habits 

 I have studied. I find that at the end of the first year seven speci- 

 mens had attained to a length of from 10 to 21 f inches, and if a 

 similar rate of growth is allowed for the second year, i.e., 6 to 8 

 inches, the length of the smallest mother would easily be acquired 

 by that time. 



Food. — Remains of fish in the stomachs of many show it depends 

 upon this form of diet in common with other hydrophids. I was 

 not able to procure any fish in a suitable state to make the identi- 

 fication probable. 



