1020 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



abdomen was retracted towards the spine. The mother died im- 

 mediately after the event, and two of her brood within two hours. 

 These were noted to have measured 6 and Q^ inches. The J^oung 

 sloughed immediately after birth, even the two that succumbed 

 so soon having accomplished this function. The remainder of the 

 family wreathed themselves round the S , lifting their heads at 

 intervals to the surface to breathe. All died within two months. 

 The season when the event took place is not noted. 



Parasites. — A specimen sent to me from Champaran (Behar) 

 had numerous nematodes in the stomach, probably the same worm 

 that is so frequently seen in the stomach of the chequered keel- 

 back (Troijidonotus inscator) and other snakes. I took it to be this 

 worm, viz., Kalliceplialus lailleyi. As a result of this parasitic 

 invasion the organ was much thickened, and its walls rigid and 

 distorted. 



Distribution. — North-East India, Assam, Burma, and the South 

 of the Asian Continent through Indo-Ohina to China. Tenas- 

 serim, Malajr Peninsula to the Archipelago as far East as Celebes. 



Though Ceylon is mentioned by Flower and Boulenger (Cat. 

 1896) I can find no authority for this. It was not mentioned in 

 Haly's list of Ceylon snakes in 1891, nor in Willey's list published 

 as recently as 1906 (Spol. Zeylan. April 1906, p. 233). Further 

 though Jerdon says it occurs in Southern India I can find no 

 record of it south of the Godavery River. There is a specimen in 

 the British Museum presented by Jerdon, and reported as from 

 Darjeeling. This in all probability means Darjeeling District, and 

 probably came from the base of the Himalayas. I have had a 

 specimen from Jalpaiguri in the same neighbourhood. Though 

 known from Burma and Tenasserim it has not as yet been report- 

 ed from the Andamans or Nicobars. 



The precise localities known to me are shown in the accom- 

 panying map. 



It may be a commoner snake in India than available records 

 make it appear. In Assam too the same remark may apply. In 

 Burma Theobald says it is common in the Pegu District, and 

 Evans and I collected 9 specimens in 15 months, in the Lower 

 part of that Province. 



