76 C0PE1A 



ually dulled and the skin was seen to be free from 

 the body in several places. Immediately after the 

 moult the animal became very active. 



Several European observers, among them no- 

 tably Boulenger, Tornier and Werner have reported 

 instances of albinism among snakes, and I have found 

 a number of other European titles on the subject. 

 Opinion, so far as expressed by the latter two work- 

 ers, seems to be that albinism results from a shortage 

 of yolk in the developing embryo, a supposition which 

 woidd be in accord with the fact that albino animals 

 are often of smaller size and of a more delicate nature 

 than normal individuals of their species. Perhaps 

 some light could be had on this problem by crossing 

 albino snakes with normally colored individuals of 

 the same species as has been done with trout among 

 fish, and with various species among the higher 

 vertebrates. 



Tracy I. Storer, 

 Berkeley, California. 



Edited by J. T. Nichols, American Museum of Natural History 

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