376 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 



of partial deglutition. The ears lying back over the head were extensively 

 and raggedly windowed in a longitudinal direction almost to the tips, evi- 

 dently lacerated by the repeated perforations of the palatine or maxillary 

 rows of teeth in their endeavour to secure a further purchase on the after- 

 coming parts. 



The snake which is one of the many kinds of rat snakes, is slender in figure 

 and probably only about a quarter the girth of a python of similar length, or 

 even less. It measured 60^" (sixty and one-eighth inches) and weighed 100 

 mk/-- The leveret weighed 235 me' and was thus more than twice that of its 

 would-be consumer. 



The accompanying photograph conveys a better impression of the inordi- 

 nate proportions of the two creatures than any words can do. 



F. WALL, Capt., i.m.s. 



Arima, Japan, July 31s^, 1901. 



No. VI.—NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FROM FRYER'S TRAVELS. 



The name of John Fryer needs no introduction to an Indian audience, 

 but though we have all met with quotations from him times out of number, 

 the opportunity of reading his celebrated book does not come within the 

 reach of all. It may, therefore, prove interesting to the members of this 

 Society to hear the accounts given by him of the wild animals he met 

 with in India and Persia, which, though they may have no scientific value, 

 are rendered picturesque by their quaint style, and are characterstic of a 

 time when few Europeans had any knowledge of the manners and customs 

 of the inhabitants of the jungles. 



Dr. John Fryer embarked on the 9th December 1672 on board the 

 East India Company's ship Unity, of 350 tons and 34 guns, the smallest 

 of a fleet of ten which sailed that winter for the East Indies. By the 

 following June they were in sight of Ceylon, in possession of the Dutch 

 then at war with England, so they had to give it a wide berth for fear 

 of being assailed by the Dutch Fleet. Fryer says : " This is the Island 

 where (if true) the Elephants, are bred, who, transported, exact Homage 

 from all Elephants of other places, and they withal, by prostrating (as it 

 were) their Necks between their feet submissively acknowledge it." But he 

 does not give his authority for this somewhat marvellous legend. The Fleet 

 at the end of June anchored off Machlipatam, in the kingdom of Golconda, 

 where the English, Dutch and Portuguese had factories. A list is given of the 

 wild beasts in the country, leopards, bears, boars, tigers, antelopes, spotted deer 

 and wild lions : though I doubt whether there is any authentic record of lions 

 on the East Coast. A visit was paid to the King's Elephant Stables. " When 



e came they were feeding out of their Houses on Sugar Canes fresh gathered 



• A me' is a Japanese weight and approximately one hundred and twenty me' equal one 

 avoirdupois poundj but it is subject to variation in different parts of the country. 



