1883.] MESSRS. SALVIN AND GODMAN ON A NEW OTIDIPHAPS. 33 



" A specimen of Saurophis crucifer, which I had in captivity, laid 

 four eggs from g and -^-^ to an inch long. 



"Another Snake in the same box (probably a young Coronella cana) 

 seized and swallowed one of the eggs ; then C cana seized *S'. cru- 

 cifer across the lower part of the body, as if to hasten the presentation 

 of another egg. My presence seemed to cause it to desist. After 

 this the Coronella cana discovered another egg, which it ate. A 

 quarter of an hour after this 0. cana seized S. crucifer across the 

 middle of the body, and dragged and turned her so as to expose the 

 underneath portion ; then desisting, it swallowed the remaining two 

 eggs ; then it again seized the S. crucifer about the middle, and 

 pressed it between its jaws forcibly and progressively downwards 

 toward the tail for three or four inches. After this C. cana searched 

 through the sand in the box, turning it up in every direction as if 

 seeking for more of its desired food. It seized iS. crucifer several 

 times in the same manner, sometimes raising it two inches from the 

 sand and dragging it. After this treatment of the one Snake by 

 the other had continued about two hours, I removed the S. crucifer 

 into another box. 



"It appears also that Lizards destroy Snakes. A young example 

 of 8. crucifer and a Lizard (of which I forget the name just now) 

 were in a box together. Neither interfered with the other for two 

 or three days. One day when I was looking at them, the Lizard 

 attacked the Snake. It touched it in various places with its tongue, 

 trod upon it, attacked it, so as to cause it to turn about, as if in pain 

 and greatly frightened. After this process had continued for some 

 minutes, the Lizard bit the Snake in the side about one third of its 

 length from the head, and the Snake immediately gave signs of dying. 

 I took it out of the box, as I wished to examine its teeth ; and on 

 opening its mouth, it partially recovered in my hands, and lived for 

 three or four hours, when it died. It is now in the South-African 

 Museum, placed in spirit so as to exhibit the wound in the side. 

 The Lizard having died also some time after, was also placed in the 

 museum. A native from the central part of the Colony has since 

 told me that there are Lizards which will attack and kill Snakes even 

 if a yard long. But this statement, until established, should be 

 taken cum grano.'- 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On a third Species of Otidiphaps. 

 By O. Salvin and F. D. Godman. 



[Received February 5, 1883.] 



In a small collection of birds recently sent us by Mr. Andrew 

 Goldie from the Dentrecasteaux Islands, near the extreme eastern end 

 of New Guinea, are two specimens of an Otidiphaps belonging to a 

 species quite distinct from both O. nobilis of North-western New 

 Guinea, and O. cervicalis of the south-eastern ranges of the great 



Proc. ZooL. Soc— 1883, No. III. 3 



