Reptiles. 9507 



The last sloughing commenced on the 14th of August, and pro- 

 ceeded just as quick!}' ; indeed the animal became more than usually 

 brisk after it, for it swallowed a small lizard the same day, and another 

 larger one two days after. 



1 have besides repeatedly watched the casting of the skin in other 

 specimens, which I have captured for anatomical purposes. There can 

 be no doubt that, in the wild state, the first sloughing commences in 

 April, as I myself observed in a specimen taken in that month ; but iu 

 captivity this early sloughing does not seem necessary to the animal's 

 well-being. 



Immediately upon losing its skin follows a desire for food; at the 

 same time the prisoner makes numerous attempts to escape, and is 

 altogether restless and excited, though at other times it lies quietly in 

 a corner of its cage. It is singular that Lenz, who possessed a perfect 

 menagerie of ophidians, was never fortunate enough to see the Coro- 

 nella take its food. I can affirm that the spectacle is exceedingly 

 rare, for in one only of my numerous specimens have I observed the 

 act, though in that one repeatedly. Wyder states that "the Coluber 

 austriacus devours small lizards, round which it twines itself, crushing 

 them after the manner of the great -tropical serpents. Sometimes it 

 seizes its prey by the tail, and if the latter breaks off it is swallowed at 

 once. In captivity lizards are preferred to any other description of food." 

 I can fully confirm this statement of Wyder. The animal, whose 

 sloughing I have described above, is the only one I ever saw take its 

 food. The first instance occurred in this way: — In the year 1857 

 1 was in possession of such a number of snakes of various species that 

 I was obliged to place my Coronella from the Fiirstensteiu Grund in 

 the same cage with a blindworm [Anguis fragilis), which had been 

 there for some time ahead}-. The two appeared to be good friends, 

 and took no particular notice of each other. Both passed into their 

 winter sleep as the cold came on, and, with the return of spring, again 

 woke up and shared the cage in peace, coiled up together on the side 

 where the sun's rays struck warmest. The Anguis ate freely of the 

 earthworms offered to it, though all attempts failed to induce the 

 Coronella to take any food. Small lizards placed near it were allowed 

 to crawl away without notice, and even young mice were disregarded. 

 One morning (May 9) I observed a great commotion in the cage. At 

 this time the Coronella had not cast its skin, nor had it eaten anything 

 for nearly nine months. The blindworm ^as striving to escape the 

 fixed gaze of its companion, whicti was following it all over their 

 prison. I placed some fresh water in the cage, and just at that instiut 



