448 ON SOME REPTILES FROM TRINIDAD. [JuilC 16, 



O'Reilly in February 1890, in the act of copulating, and kept in his 

 collection, gave birth to a large litter of young ones, between 20 or 

 30, in the following August. The young Cuscabels, which are very 

 small and thin with enormous heads, immediately display all the 

 habits of the adult snake, coiling in the branches and being ever 

 ready to bite fiercely. Tliey feed upon hzards and mice, which they 

 kill by constriction. We have noticed they hold their prey a long 

 time after its death, and that after swallovs^ing one victim they will 

 not feed again until it is thoroughly digested, a habit in which they 

 differ from other snakes of the Boa family, especially from Epic-rates 

 cenchris and Boa constrictor. 



2. THE TIGRE SNAKE (Spilotes variabilis). 



This large black Snake with pale yellow markings is known in 

 Trinidad as the Tigre or Tiger. It has the reputation of being very 

 fierce, but our experience, as gained by this specimen, is the reverse, 

 as it permits itself to be handled with impunity. The Tigres are 

 difficult to feed, but this one may be induced to eat young birds and 

 young rats. It is very rapid in its movements, and is found in trees 

 as well as on tlie ground. There is a laro;er variety entirely black, 

 which is known as " the widow." The Tigres and Machetes, with 

 many other colubrine snakes in Trinidad, have a very curious habit 

 of agitating the tail with great rapidity when excited, producing a 

 sharp tapping sound as if imitating the Mapepi {Lachesis mutus) and 

 Rattlesnake. 



3. THE MACHETE SNAKE (Herjjetodri/as carinatus). 



This bright gold and bronze green Snake is knovFu in Trinidad as 

 the Machete or Macheta, because the male's back being ridged is 

 thought to bear some resemblance to a machete or cutlass. It is an 

 exceedingly swift snake, and is found in all kinds of situations, but 

 chiefly on trees. It swims well. This specimen was first seen hanging 

 by its tail from the topmost branch of a bush on a river-bank. When 

 in captivity they are fond of climbing and resting on a large branch. 

 This specimen laid five eggs, each about two inches long and as 

 thick as the little fiager. The Macliete bites furiously when caught. 

 It feeds on frogs principally, but will also eat young birds and lizards. 

 There are several varieties in Trinidad, one of a beautiful green, but 

 it is rarer than this kind. 



4. THE PLICA LIZARD {Uraniscodon plica). 



These Lizards, for which we have not found a generally accepted 

 Creole name, have a very curious appearance. They are essentially 

 tree- and wall-lizards, and apparently never seek the earth unless 

 forced to do so. When they are chased and fall by accident to the 

 ground, they are awkward and evidently unused to such a situation 

 and are easily caught. They are found in colonies of six, eight, or even 

 a dozen individuals on the trunks (rarely the branches) of large 

 trees and on the rough stone walls of bridges, ruins and old houses. 



