LIST OF SNAKES TAKEN IN TRA VANCORE. 73 



Mr. Ingleby writes : " This is a very fierce snake and does not appear 

 to move about much in the day time. It invariably buried itself in 

 the sand at the bottom of the cage with nothing but the extremity of 

 its head and eyes sticking out. When provoked, it would turn to 

 attack with great fierceness, though the specimen alluded to was not 

 more than a foot long. Unfortunately when the cage was removed 

 to another house it was attacked by ants (^Solenopsis geminata) the first 

 night and literally skeletonised. It appeared to be in a thriving con- 

 dition, and might have lived for a considerable time if the ants had 

 not got in. It was fed on small frogs, but was never actually seen in 

 the act of eating though the frogs disappeared." 



Series B,~Opisthoglypha. 

 Dipsas trigonata. — I have taken a few specimens in Trevandrum. 

 It may be sometimes found afc night among the branches of rose bushes. 

 I have had it in captivity, but it does not thrive. It has a peculiar way 

 of curling itself up in a ball round a thin branch. 



Dipsas ceylonensis. — Several specimens of this snake have been sent 

 to m^ from the hills both in North and South Travancore. 



Dipsas forsfennii.—A single specimen taken by Mr. Marshall 

 near Ponmudi, 



Dipsas dightoni. — This snake was described and named by Mr. 

 Boulenger in a recent number of this Society's Journal. Three 

 specimens have been taken on Pirmerd. The type is in the British 

 Museum. 



Dryopliis dispar.—TkiQQ specimens have been sent to me from 

 the High Range. 



Dryopliis mycterizans. — A very common snake and the only one that 

 the ordinary native is not afraid to handle. Boys often bring them 

 in, having first taken the precaution to tie up the head in a bundle of 

 rags. It does not thrive in captivity though it feeds well. One 

 female brought to the Public Grardens on July 30th, 1891, gave birth 

 to twelve young ones on September 27th. The young were about 

 seventeen inches long ; phe did not live for any time. They were 

 produced ovoviviparously. 



Much interest has been excited lately over the fate of the python 

 at the Zoological Gardens, London, that was swallowed by its 

 companion. 



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