60 OUE EEPTILES. 



and got hold of the tail of the lizard. This, of 

 course, broke off, and was devoured by the snake. 

 From this time the snake always seized the tails 

 of the lizards given him for food, without further 

 attacking them ; nor, if tailless lizards were put 

 to him, would he attempt to devour them."* 



Still more recently Dr. Opel has contributed 

 to our knowledge of the habits of this snake, 

 especially when under confinement, f From his 

 observations it would appear that the ground 

 colour for the six or seven days succeeding 

 ' sloughing Ms of a beautiful steel-blue, which 

 from that time gradually fades, until at last it 

 settles into a dirty brownish-yellow. One of the 

 specimens on which Dr. OpeFs observations were 

 made was captured by him in the Fiirstensteiner 

 Grund, near Salzbrunn, in Silesia, and carried 

 to Dresden closely packed in a tin case. After a 

 journey of eight days in this manner, it was in 

 good health, and gave no signs of exhaustion. 

 Minute particulars are given of three separate 

 ' sloughings/ which took place during one year 

 in the months of June, July, and August ; but 

 he adds there can be no doubt that, in the wild 

 state, the first sloughing commences in April. 

 " Immediately upon losing its skin follows a 



* The Field, September 13, 1862. 

 f The Zoologist, p. 9505. 



