A POPULAR TREATISE ON INDIAN SNAKES. 863 



olive-green in the median dorsal region, but the flanks were ornamented 

 with a deep continuous band of brilliant sunset crimson. These 

 lively hues fade so rapidly in spirit that it does not surprise me that 

 Boulenger makes no special reference to them. 



(j) Tytleri. — Distinguished by longitudinal white, black-edged lines 

 anteriorly. Both Blyth * and Theobald t allude to it, the latter under 

 the title Striolatus. It appears to be peculiar to the Andamans. 



Distribution, (a) Geographical. — I am not aware of any locality in 

 our Indian Dominions below, say, 3,000 feet, except Sind, where it does 

 not exist plentifully, and in most parts it must be conceded the distinc- 

 tion of being the commonest of all species. To the East it extends 

 throughout the whole Malayan region, continental and insular, to 

 Southern China, and Formosa. To the West its range appears to cease 

 before Sind, since Murray does not mention it in his Vertebrate 

 Zoology of that region. 



Local. — It frequents the neighbourhood of water, and abounds in 

 rivers, jheels, marshes and pools. During the hot weather, or in 

 localities where the nature of the soil is arid and open, it is little in 

 evidence, but clings to its favoured element. As soon as the rains burst, 

 it becomes disseminated broadcast, and may be found wherever the 

 vegetation offers convenient hiding at some distance from water, and it 

 occasionally strays into the bungalow. 



Breeding. — The Sexes. — Females average a greater length, and have 

 shorter tails than males. 



The shortest female to demonstrate her fertility, of which my 

 notes bear record, was 2 feet 7| inches, and was obtained in Cannanore. 

 This length, I think, establishes the sexual maturity of this species 

 at 4 years of age. This agrees with the age I have estimated in some 

 other Indian snakes, but the observations of Lenz on snakes in Europe 

 led him to suppose they were sexually matured at 3 years of age. As 

 this is an interesting point, I furnish my reasons for this statement. 

 Taking the month of July, which I select because my notes in this 

 month furnish me with the largest material upon which to make deduc- 

 tions, it will be seen from the annexed table that the lengths of many 

 specimens which are closely approximate, leave gaps which seem clearly 

 to demarcate the broods of successive years. 



* Jourl., Asiat. Soc„ Bengal, 1863, p. 88. 

 t Cat., Kept. Asiat. Soc. Mus., 1868, p. 55. 



