62 OUR EEPTILES. 



of the latter's intestinal canal were violently forced out, and 

 scattered over the glass sides. Each desperate struggle of 

 the Blindworm was followed by a closer grasp on the part 

 of the Coronella, which looked exactly like a roll of tobacco, 

 through which the extreme end of the Blindworm's tail 

 protruded. 



Of course this contest ended in favour of the 

 snake ; and the Blindworm was slowly devoured. 

 This latter act occupied more than three hours ; 

 for the Blindworm was a large one, measuring 

 eleven inches in length. After its meal, the 

 Coronella refreshed himself with a bath, and 

 seemed to take great pleasure in the water, 

 which doubtless served to mitigate the great 

 heat of its very rapid digestion. So active is 

 that, that Dr. Opel remarks : " I have known 

 the portion of the prey enclosed in the stomach 

 to be in a state of decomposition while the other 

 portion was still outside the jaws." When 

 bathing, the Coronella generally takes great care 

 not to immerse its head, except during very 

 warm weather, and then it will keep its head 

 beneath the surface for a quarter of an hour at 

 a time. 



In reference to its hybernation, Dr. Opel ob- 

 served that this was neither so long nor deep as 

 in many other reptiles. Nor did the Coronella 

 bury itself in the sand, but always stretched 

 itself, and slept on the surface. The vitality of 

 this species appears, however, to be one of its 



