MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 1035 



Its position and prominence are very well shown in the accompanying 

 sketches made by Mr. J. Green, to whom I gave the two eggs I had immersed 

 in spirit when on the point of hatching. Mr. Green has cut a window out of 

 one egg, and shown the embryo coiled up within, with the egg tooth clearly 

 visible as a white speck. He entirely removed the embryo of the other 

 egg, and has shown the tooth in profile. 



I examined the egg tooth in all my hatchlings each day, gently inserting a 

 tooth pick beneath its projecting end. On the 14th September it was still 

 present in all. On the loth one of those hatched on the 11th had shed the 

 tooth. In the other hatched on the 11th, and that on the 12th the tooth 

 was present on the 15th instant, but in both cases it was so loose that it came 

 off the pick point unaccompanied by any bleeding of the parts. One of 

 these teeth was secured in a capsule, and handed to Mr. Green, but was so 

 minute that it was unfortunately lost in his endeavours to view, and draw it 

 under the microscope. 



The detail of the shields is not accurate, a point of no importance, ss the 

 drawings are only intended to indicate the position of the egg-tooth. 



F. WALL, c.M.z.s., Major, i.m.s. 



No. XXVIII— TUCTOO AND SNAKE. 



In the Indian Museum lately I was shown a specimen of Chrysopelea ornata 

 a yard or so long which Captain R. E. Lloyd, I.M.S. , had captured at Sand- 

 away in conflict with a tuctoo (Gecko verticillatus). 



Captain Lloyd told me he saw the combatants engaged on the ground in 

 desperate battle, and that the snake appeared to be getting worsted, as the 

 tuctoo had the snake's body, some inches behind the neck, firmly grasped 

 in its jaws. So fierce was the encounter that they refused to separate, so he 

 threw them into the sea. This caused the combatants to disengage, but only 

 for a moment, when they renewed the struggle in the water. 



The power of the tuctoo must be very considerable, for the snake's body 

 bore such distinct impressions of its jaws that the tissues, and internal 

 organs must, I feel sure, have been severely damaged. This is the second 

 instance I have had to chronicle lately of the pugnacity and determination 

 exhibited by this Gecko. 



F. "WALL, c.M.z.s„ Major, i.m.s. 

 DibrdGarh, Assam, 2nd March 1907. 



No. XXIX.— PECULIAR COLOURATION IN THE INDIAN SLOTH 

 BEAR {MEL VRSUS URSINUS). 



A few days ago I shot a couple of bears (mother and cub) which bad 

 chestnut coloured V's on their chests instead of the white V. Notody 



