30 Notes on Indian Snakes in Captivity. 



V. — Notes on Indian Snakes in Captivity. 

 Communicated bj Dr. Gunther. 



Observations on living tropical snakes are so scarce that 

 tlie following notes, which appeared in the ' Administration 

 Report of the Madras Government Museum for the year 

 1896-97 " (an official document not generally accessible to 

 zoologists), seem to deserve to be brought to the notice of a 

 wider circle of herpetologists. 



Although the observations were made on specimens kept 

 in captivity in the Madras Museum, they are of value, as the 

 snakes are living under more natural climatic conditions than 

 those kept in the zoological gardens of Europe. The obser- 

 vations cover the financial year from 1st April, 1896, to 

 31st March, 1897. 



" Python {Python molurus) ate 59 jerboa rats ( Gerhillus 

 indicus), 2 quails, and 8 squirrels in the year. Shed its 

 skin on the 12th April, 2nd July, and 17th December, 1896. 



" Rat-snake (^Zamenis nmcosus) ate 135 green frogs in the 

 year. Shed its skin 22nd April, 18th May, 15th June, 

 8th July, 5th August, 5th September, 5th October, 7th No- 

 vember, 14th December, 1896, 17th January and 27th Feb- 

 ruary, 1897, i. e. in every month. 



" Whip-snake [Dryophis mycterizans). — One lived up to 

 11th December, 1896, and ate 44 mice and 6 green frogs and 

 toads. A new snake was procured on the 31st January, 

 1897, which ate only 1 mouse up to the end of the otficial 

 year. The first one cast its skin on the 28th May, 9th August, 

 and 25th October, 1896, i. e. in every three months. 



" Sand-snake {Eryx JoJinii) ate 17 rats in tlie year. Cast 

 its skin on the 24th April, 28th June, 18th September, 1896, 

 and 14tli January, 1897. 



" Sand-snake [Gongylojyhis conicus) ate 65 rats in the year. 

 Cast its skin on the 30th Ajjril, 4th June, 22nd July, and 

 4th October, 1896. 



" Tropidonotus stolatus ate 1 30 frogs. Cast its skin on 

 the 28th June, 6th July, 27th July, 3rd September, 14th De- 

 cember, 1896, 18th January and 27th February, 1897. 

 Laid one c^^ on the 17th August, one on the 20th August, 

 two on the Tlwd. August, three on the 12th September, three 

 on the 14th September, one on the 15th September, and 

 three on the 18th September, 1896. 



" Krait {Bungarus carideus). — One krait ate 2 frogs from 

 the 11th to 16th October, 1896, and then died; another was 



