9506 Beptiles. 



nearly eighteen months. This specimen, a female, measuring twenty- 

 three inches in length, I secured in the Fiirstensteiner Grund, not far 

 from Salzbruner (Silesia) on the 16th of August, 1857. In spite of its 

 being closely packed in a tin case, which I carried for entomological 

 purposes, 1 brought the animal to Dresden, after a journey of eight 

 days from the time of its capture, in good health and without any signs 

 of exhaustion. The ground colour of this animal was of the yellowish 

 hue which usually precedes the casting of the skin : that process 

 accordingly began within four days, but went on so slowly that more 

 than once 1 assisted nature by removing the epidermis with a pair of 

 pincers. From memoranda made at the time, I find, that the colouring 

 of the new skin was by no means so bright and fresh as usual; and 

 I see in this circumstance a confirmation of an opinion, which I have 

 elsewhere expressed, that the pigment layer contributes largely towards 

 the formation of the epidermis, and is itself renewed from within ; for 

 my snake, not having touched food for a long time previous to its 

 sloughing, it follows that the vital operations were weak, and the 

 secretion of pigment weak in proportion ; hence the dullness of the 

 colours beneath the epidermis. 



Hybernation interrupted the casting of skin that should have fol- 

 lowed, and it was not until the 18th of June of the ensuing year (1858) 

 that the process occurred again ; but this time it was both easier and 

 quicker, the whole being finished by the 20th of the same month, as 

 1 had taken the precaution of having a number of rough objects placed 

 in the cage for the animal to rub itself against. I should mention that 

 the cage in which the Coronclla was confined was provided with glass 

 sides and bottom, so that all its movements could be carefully observed, 

 without the animal itself being disturbed. 



A third sloughing (the second of this year) took place on the 2nd of 

 July, the Coronclla having repeatedly taken food a fortnight previously. 

 This time I allowed the animal a certain amount of freedom, having 

 turned it loose in my study, to see if the process would be thereby 

 facilitated. I noticed that it took advantage of every rough spot it 

 could reach to rid itself, by rubbing, of the dried integuments with 

 which it was encumbered. When about half the body was freed I ob- 

 served it creep rapidly on to the support of a small round table, and 

 then, insinuating itself with much exertion into the interstices of the 

 wooden arched foot, in an instant it left its epidermis hanging in the 

 narrow space. The whole affair, from the first splitting of the skin on 

 the head to a complete renewal, occupied just three hours and a half. 

 Owing to the continuous friction the cast skin was torn in several 

 places, whereas, in the previous instances, it had come off entire. 



