556 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol, XXVIII. 
earlier number of this Journal (Vol. XVIII, p. 126). There is no doubt that the 
black cobra commences life as an ordinary binocellate cobra of the same colour 
and type that is typical of Southern Indian examples. As it matures it 
acquires & black colour, and the binocellus tends to become effaced. Why no (?) 
cobras in Southern India turn black, why all the cobras in Sind and Rajputa- 
na do, and why in the United Provinces (Fyzabad) some do and others do 
not, is an interesting problem that I cannot elucidate. 
Some of the observations touched upon in this note confirm previously re- 
ported events of the kind, some however do not. The period of incubation does 
not accord with the only other event of the kind known to me. Eggs laid at 
Parel on the 12th of May some years ago, hatched out it was reported on the 
20th of July. In this case 69 days elapsed from the date of deposition, whereas 
my two broods hatched between the 47th and 54th days. The conflicting periods 
are difficult to reconcile when one considers that the climates of Bombay and 
Karachi are almost identical. 
The length of my young cobras 228 to 286 mm. (9 to 11} inches) is considerably 
greater than that reported by Phipson whose hatchlings were only 190 mm. (74 
inches). It would appear from my observations that a young cobra is probably 
viable after about 45 days in the egg. 
The growth during the later stage of intraoval life is rapid, amounting to 
about 305 to 477 mm. (1 to 14 inches) in the last week or ten days. 
The genitalia of the male are extruded up to about four days before exovation. 
The oodont is shed three or four days after postoval life has begun. 
The observation that the young snake eats the residual yolk in its egg before 
vacating it, leads one to speculate why it does so. Because it is hungry ? 
I do not think so, for there is some deposition of fat about the viscera when the 
young effect their liberty. Does it do so as a provision against a possible 
dearth of food in its early life 2? This seems possible because it is a strange 
fact that in many climates that enjoy a bitter winter (Britain, China) young 
are born or hatched late in the autumn, and have to face a long period of hiber- 
nation ata period of life when they are least prepared for it. Adults at the 
same period of the year are packed with fat as a provision against the long 
period of hibernation which often lasts for half the year. 
xplanaiion of Figures. 
From embryo of Naia tripudians 45th day after deposition Cee 
about 10 diametres.) 
A Side view of skull. 
B Lower 5; 4; f 
(a) Oodont, (b) ’ Preemaxilla, (c) Nasal, (d) Maxilla, (e) Prefrontal, 
< f) Vomer, (g) Nasal cavity, (h) Orbit. 
F. WALL, Cot., I.M.S. 
Karacut, 28th July 1921. 
XXII.—ACQUISITION OF FOUR MORE SPECIMENS OF THE SNAKE 
(BRACHYOPHIDIUM RHODOGASTER, WALL). 
Tn the last issue of this Journal, I described a new snake under the above desig- 
nation. The locality of the type specimen was not known, but I surmised that 
it had come from the Palni Hills. This supposition has been confirmed by the 
acquisition of more specimens. Last year I appealed to Father Anglade, Princi- 
pal of the Sacred Heart College, Shembaganur, to collect me some of the local 
snakes at that altitude, about 6,500 feet. The result of his endeavours produced 
