228 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX, 



at a sitting, I have little doubt that a search in the surrounding bushes would 

 have disclosed his larder well stocked with the remains of the young 

 sun birds. 



H. A. F. MAGRATH, Major. 

 Carron-Strathspey, Scotland, 

 2Mh April 1910. 



No. XXIV —A SNAKE FLIRTATION. 



Your correspondent's note under the above heading in the last Journal, 

 sounds as if this were a matter of very rare occurrence. But is this so ? I 

 have on various occasions come across snakes so entwined, and have looked 

 upon it as usual, if perhaps somewhat seldom actually witnessed, and I find 

 in my notes that on two occasions last June, I saw the same thing with the 

 same snakes as mentioned by Mr. Millett viz. Zamenis mucosus, and have 

 entered it merely as an occurrence of coming upon snakes " in cop " — to use a 

 term common among lepidopterists. 



Both these occasions were in the foot hills of the western slopes of the 

 Nalamalais in Kurnool District. On June 10th I heard a struggling noise 

 just off the path, and found two very large Dhamans entwined and throwing 

 themselves about' — whether struggling or not I could not see. On my 

 approach they immediately separated and went different ways, one into an 

 adjacent old ant hill. One of those must have been nearly 9 feet long. 



The other occasions noted in same locality, and only about a mile from 

 same spot, was on June 23rd when I again came upon a very large pair of 

 these snakes in the same position. This time both were quiet, with hdads 

 and free parts of body slightly off the giound, facing each other. Again 

 I was unable to make any close observation as unlike the case reported by 

 Mr. Millett, they again immediately uncoupled and went their ways. I 

 tried to catch one, to examine the parts, but though I got hold of the tail, he 

 or she, turned and savagely bit my hand and forearm and got away. 

 Camp Boyirani, Ganjam Dt. COLERIDGE BEADON. 



2nd January 1910. 



No. XXV.— THE FOOD OF CROCODILES. 



Can any of your readers inform me whether it is usual to find stones inside 

 the belly of a crocodile ? 



On the 30th December last I shot a 16 feet male Gharial (Gavialis pangeticus) 

 on an island in the Sarda River near Chuka Dhya, Pilibhit. I found inside it 

 a quantity of round stones such as are found in the river bed. I estimate 

 there were about ten pounds weight in all. I kept three of the largest which 

 weigh about eight ounces each. 



There was nothing else in the animal's stomach except the remains of a bird 

 and some weed. Natives who were with me suggested that the crocodile had 

 swallowed the stones because he was hungry and could get nothing else. Is 



