260 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVII. 



b3ok on botuny mentions both these names " dhaman " and " dameen " as 

 being applied to a tree, the Grewia tilicefolia, which is commonly grown 

 by the natives in Southern India about their habitations. Mr. A. M. 

 Jackson tells me " dharmani " is the Sanskrit name for this tree and the 

 Cyclopedia of India (Vol. 11, page 14) gives "damoni" as the Ooriah 

 name for it. From its wood, hafts are derived for various tools, and the 

 mer bark furnishes bast which Birdwood says is used in Bombay for 

 naking ropes. The connection between the tree and the snake has been 

 suggested to me by Father Dreckman, who says in Sanskrit "dharma" 

 neans a " binding", either in the sense of duty or of wrapping one thing 

 round another. Those of us who have handled living specimens, must 

 frequently have experienced the force with which this sn^ke wreathes 

 itself round one's legs, or arms. On the Malabar Coast it is called 

 "chayra." The Tamils in S. India call it " Sarey pamboo," but a Tamil 

 of the Tigala caste in Mysore told me locally (Bangalore) they called it 

 " Jair potoo,'' which I am informed signifies "centipede animal.'' This 

 appears to be the same as the " Jeri potoo " of Russell.* Ricet says the 

 Canarese name for it is " Kere." The Burmese call it " Mywe' let pat," 

 which is literally " hand-coiling snake," and according to Theobald J 

 *• Lim-bwi." 



Dimensions. — The great majority of adults vary from 5 -J to 6-| feet, 

 'out much larger specimens are to be met with. Evans and I obtained 

 two in Burmah measuring 7 feet 4 -J inches, and 7 feet 8^ inches re- 

 spectively. One specimen brought to me in Trichinopoly was the 

 Wsest I ever saw in the flesh, viz., 8 feet 2 inches. I measured the 

 slough of one just cast in the Bangalore Museum which was 9 feet 1^ 

 inches. Mr. Millard tells me of one killed near Mahim Station which 

 was 11 feet 9 inches. This was a veritable Goliath of its kind. I have 

 measurements in my notes of 54 specimens, and only 3 of these exceed 

 7 feet. I have notes of a host of others where the measurement is not 

 recorded, but it is certain that had they been large this would not have 

 been omitted. § 



Physiognomy, and bodily configuration. — The head is rather elongate. 

 The eye, large and lustrous, exhibits an iris speckled with gold, especially 

 densely at the pupillary margin and a pupil which is slightly ovate hori- 



* lad. Serp., Vol. I, plate XXXIV- t Mysore, Vol. I, p. 188. 

 J Jour. As. Soc, Bengal, 1868, p. 46. 

 $ Mr. Pearless has in a recent letter reported that he has en four occasions killed this 

 snake rn Ceylon exceeding 10 feet in length. 



