650 



A POPULAE TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN 



SNAKES. 



Illustrated by Coloured Plates and Diagrams. 



BY 



Major F. Wall, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. 



Fart XX continued (ivith Plates A. and B. and Diagram.) 



(Continued from loage 259 of this Volume.') 



The Sexes. — I can discover no difference in the lepidosis of the 

 sexes, nor in the relative lengths of the tails. There is no constant 

 difference either in the ranges of ventrals, and subcandals. The 

 male clasper is narrow and long and surmounted with very small 

 claw-like tentacles. It is not bifid. Females appear to be more 

 numerous than males in Bangalore, as Dr. Nicholson found 410 of 

 the former against 308 of the latter in 718 cobras sexed by him. 

 In Cannanore, however, I got 8 ,5 c? to a single $ . In Chitral out 

 of 18 sexed 11 were $ $ and 7 c? cJ • In Fyzabad I collected 18 

 c? d to 15 $ 5 . 



Breeding. — The mating season extends over several months of 

 the year. Flower in Siam had a gravid female with eggs fit for 

 discharge judging from their measurements in the month of 

 January. Nicholson had several gravid females with eggs about 

 an inch long in February at Bangalore, and I had one in a similar 

 condition at Cannanore in the same month. Mr. E. E. Green also 

 had a gravid female in Ceylon in the same month. Colonel Dawson 

 had captive cobras in Trivandrum, which were observed " in copula" 

 in January. Mr. H. Hampton wrote to me of a pair he had in 

 captivity at Mogok, Ruby Mines, Burma, that were observed coupled 

 at the end of March. Evans and I obtained gravid females in 

 Rangoon in July and August, one specimen in July showing but 

 little enlargement of the ovarian follicles. Mr. Foulkes told me 

 some 3^ears ago of a pair reported coupled in June at Rajamundry. 



The act of mating has been witnessed by Colonel Dawson and 

 Mr. H. Hampton to whom I am indebted for the following details. 

 In Trivandrum the pair remained coupled from 11 a. m, uiuti 

 4-20 p.m. on the 17th of January. In Mr. Hampton's vivarnl 

 coitus lasted intermittently for three days. He observed that thm 

 pair nodded their heads continually, and their bodies quiverede 

 They did not take the slightest notice of anybody in front of their, 

 cage. They did not expand their hoods, neither did they wrap 

 themselves around one another. Each turned the vent upwards 

 and sideways to effect engagement. 



Period of gestation. — The cobra is known to be oviparous, and the 

 period of gestation is accurately known in Colonel Dawson's case. 



