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FURTHER NOTES ON SNAKES FROM 

 THE CHIN HILLS. 



BY 



Captain F. E. W. Venning. 

 (With notes by Major F. Wall, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S.) 



During the present year (1910) only one addition was made to 

 the number of species obtained from this locality, namely a speci- 

 men of the genus Typhlops, but the writer was fortunate enough to 

 procure several more specimens of the new Tropidonotus described 

 last year by Major Wall. Such other notes as are thought to be of 

 interest are added under the various species. 



Typhlops diardi. — One gravid female (No. 52-10) was captured 

 on the main road near Minkin ( 5,600 ft. ) on the evening 

 of 13th June at dusk. When first handled this little creature 

 lashed backwards and forwards head to tail very rapidly and with 

 sufficient force to raise its body completely from the ground, in 

 much the same way that some earthworms will do when touched. 

 It is not perhaps unreasonable to suppose that this performance, 

 which looks as if it must be uncommonly unpleasant for the 

 actor, is a protective device of nature evolved from a simple 

 instinctive shrinking or wriggling effort to regain liberty after 

 capture. The writer well remembers the uncanny appearance 

 presented by a large millipede in the Malay States, which adopted 

 the same tactics when disturbed and seemed to be seized with 

 a bad fit, thereby producing in the mind of the would-be captor 

 an unwillingness to touch it, even though it was known to be 

 quite harmless. The length of the snake was 14 inches including 

 the stumpy tail which was broader than long. There were 

 26 rows of scales round the body anteriorly, and 28 rows at 

 midbody. Colour shining brown above, each scale with a paler 

 submarginal crescent ; beneath whitish. It contained some well 

 developed eggs. 



[Many of the snakes to which these notes refer have been submitted to 

 me by Capt. Venning for my examination. The specimen referred to as 

 Typhlops diardi exactly agrees with the small specimen I obtained in the 

 Khasi Hills which I made the type of a distinct species under the name 



