THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 11 



closed the list of new captures. The return journey was com- 

 menced at 5.25, and town reached by 7.30 — the trip being voted 

 most enjoyable. 



A specimen of each of the varieties taken is shown on the 

 table to-night. The list, as you will see, comprises eleven 

 species of butterflies and nine of moths — not poor results for a 

 couple of hours' collecting. 



A FEW REMARKS ABOUT SNAKES. 



By D. Le Souef, Assistant Director of the Melbourne Zoological 



Gardens. 



(Read before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, iot/1 March, 



1890.) 



A short time ago the Natal Rock Snake in the Zoological 

 Gardens, of about 12 feet in length, swallowed its blanket, a 

 large sized single one, and it also ate a rabbit the same night. It 

 then lay quiet for about three weeks, when it began to get restless, 

 but could not move about very freely, because of its undigested 

 meal; it then with some difficulty disgorged the blanket again, 

 which, when washed, was as good as ever. A fortnight later it 

 was noticed swallowing the same blanket again, but was made to 

 disgorge it before it could accomplish its purpose. Some years 

 ago a large Indian Python swallowed its blanket in a similar 

 way, and after a period of six weeks passed it through, the snake 

 being none the worse. 



Not long ago two Tiger Snakes, a large one and a small one, 

 fastened on the same mouse, one at each end. Neither would give 

 way, and the larger snake not only swallowed the mouse, but 

 also the smaller snake, as the latter would not let go its hold of 

 the mouse, and in about ten minutes nothing was to be seen but 

 about two inches of its tail, and that disppeared next day. But in 

 no case do the snakes of this country prey on each other, except 

 accidentally, as in the way I have mentioned ; on several occa- 

 sions I have separated two snakes when trying to swallow the 

 same frog, and when the head of one was well within the jaws of 

 the other. The only snake which lives almost exclusively on 

 other snakes is the Hamadryas of the Oriental region, and it is 

 very useful on that account, although much feared by the natives, 

 being very active and vicious. When they received their first live 

 specimen in the London Zoological Gardens, they found difficulty 

 in being able to obtain a sufficient supply of snakes to feed it on, 

 so those they had, they gave a plentiful supply of food to, and 

 when they were gorged they then gave them to the Hamadryas, 

 which consequently had a double meal. 



On several occasions I have been told that snakes committed 



