MISCELLANEO US NOTES. 171 



The relative length of the tail to the body differs remarkably in the 

 sexes of many species of Simotes and Oligodon, and it is noteworthy in this 

 connection that the single adult beddomii is a c? and that 3 of the 4 

 specimens of theobaldi referred to by Boulenger were 5 . The disparity in 

 this appendage in the two supposed species is probably of sexual import. 

 Next while some specimens of theobaldi have square spots on the ventrals, 

 others are unspotted, whereas in beddomii there are a few scattered spots 

 on the belly behind. I have however had at least one specimen of theobaldi 

 from Thayetmyo, Burma, with a few spots scattered irregularly on the 

 hind belly. Lastly we come to habitat. In an article on another snake, 

 viz., Simotes splendidus in this Journal (Vol. XVIII, p. 782) I furnished very 

 strong arguments for assuming that the habitat of the type of that species 

 was Burma and not Wynad as reported by Colonel Beddome. 



When I sent a specimen of splendidus from Burma to the British Museum 

 in 1908 Mr. Boulenger in acknowledging the specimen wrote to me as 

 follows: — " The habitat of the Simotes splendidus is very interesting. I 

 wonder now whether Beddome's locality (Wynad, in his own handwriting) 

 is trustworthy." It is very significant that no less than eight species now 

 known to be denizens of Burma and Tenasserim, are only known from 

 Peninsula India on the authority of Colonel Beddome who presented 

 specimens to the British Museum with labels bearing the name of some 

 locality in S. India ! After what has been said of »S. splendidus it is 

 significant that the two type specimens of beddomii should be labelled from 

 Wynad in Colonel Beddome's handwriting. 



On the facts represented above I have little hesitation in suggesting that 

 these two types of beddomii were collected in Burma, and inadvertently 

 mixed with Colonel Beddome's South Indian collections. Once this pos- 

 sibility is admitted I venture to think that the types of beddomii will be 

 identified as typical specimens of theobaldi. 



F. WALL, Major, i.m.s., 



C.M.Z.S., F.L.S. 



Almora, 2^th February 1914. 



No. XXXV.— SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH {BETTA PUGNAX). 



Mr, F. H. Stone has a note in Volume XXII, No. 3, page 632, on this 

 wonderful little fish. I have on several occasions kept several of these fishes. 

 Each fish was kept in a white gin bottle and the following diet given, fine 

 bread crumbs, a grain or so of boiledrice, for a change small morsels of earth- 

 worms, and as a real treat a few mosquito larvse. The bottles must be kept 

 at some distance apart in order that the fish may not see one another, for if 

 they should do so they are kept in a perpetual state of irritation. When un- 

 perturbed they, as Mr. Stone remarks, look like very ordinary little fishes, 

 but place two in a large glass salad bowl and then the fiin begins : up goes the 

 dorsal fin, each puffs himself out with pride as much as he can, at the same 

 time displaying iridescent colours. With this fine play of colours their 

 anger seems to have arrived at about the maximum. The swelling of the 

 pouches from the lower part of the gills as noted by Mr. Stone imparts 

 quite a bull-dog aspect to the fish. They are full of pluck and go for one 

 another in real earnest, biting small pieces out. The defeated fish usually 

 sinks to the bottom of the bowl, seems disinclined to rise, and gradually, 

 unless pressed, takes on his normal appearance, the victor generally swims 

 above swaggering about as if quite conscious of the fact that he is 'top dog.' 

 We never allowed them to have more than two or three rounds, having been 

 told that if we did so the defeated fish would be killed. I also received 



