634 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



In regard to the food of Eryx conicus rather an interesting point crops up 

 here, as the men told me that this snake at that time of year was very 

 common and could always be found in fields where the quail came, beir.g 

 very partial to a meal of quail. They moreover said that they often came 

 across these snakes when netting quail both by day and night ; and they 

 told me not to worry as there were plenty about and they could always 

 get me them. 



As to habits I have only twice met this snake, and the nature of the 

 country hard " pat " rather suggests to one that this snake, if an earth- 

 dweller, must be almost amphibious, for very often large tracts of country 

 in its habitat are flooded for months and a couple of days rain will turn 

 the whole of a piece of " pat " country into a mud-marsh. Under such 

 conditions where does this snake go, for is it a good swimmer or not ? 



In similar circumstances other kinds of more active snakes such as Eckis 

 carinata would either save themselves by putting distance between them 

 and the danger or escape up into bushes, small trees, etc., but what could 

 the sluggish conicus do. 



The only other specimen I met was a large one killed in a compound 

 in Tank, but I could not get a vessel capable of holding it at the time. 



It measured very nearly 3 feet, which must be very large. ' I shall be in 

 Tank again this hot weather and will see what I can do about getting 

 specimens. 



C. R. S. PITMAN. 



Dera Ismail Khan, 

 6th December 1912. 



No. XXVIII.— OCCURRENCE OF THE SNAKE {PSAMMOPHIS 

 LONGIFRONS) AT NAGPUR. 



On the 2nd June 1913, I obtained a specimen of this snake for the 

 Nagpur Museum. This is the first time the species has been recorded from 

 here. The type (head and neck only), which is in the British Museum, 

 came from the Cuddapah Hills and others have been recorded from about 

 five localities in the basins of the Kistna and Godavery. In my specimen 

 the condition of the posterior nasal is abnormal ; the shield instead of 

 being divided is only partially so and the head lacks the symmetrical un- 

 dulating black lines described in the type. The costals were in 17 rows 

 on the neck and body reducing to 13 at a point two head lengths away 

 from the vent. Ventrals 174, subcaudals 79 pairs, anal 21, prseocular 1, 

 postoculars 2, labials 8, the 4th and the oth entering the eye, 5 infra- 

 labials in contact with the anterior chin-shield. 



It had recently fed, six skinks, some of which were M. carinata, were 

 found in gastro. 



E. A. D'ABREU, f.z.s. 



The Museum, Nagpub, 

 \6th August 1913. 



No. XXIX.— THE OCCURRENCE OF THE SLENDER CORAL SNAKE 



{CALLOPHIS TRIMACULATUS) AT NAGPUR, 



CENTRAL PROVINCES. 



On the 5th August 1913, 1 secured a specimen of the Slender Coral Snake 

 {Callophis trimaculatus) in the Civil Station of Na,gpur. 



