512 MESSES. "MOLE AifD TTRiCH oif THE [June 19,' 



manner. It is most curious to watch these snakes passing from 

 branch to branch, the distances which they manage to bridge over 

 without any support, except that given by a small portion of their 

 bodies and their long tails, being almost incredible. 



LePTODIEA AlTNULATA. 



This pretty snake, which never exceeds, so far as we have had 

 opportunities of judging, 30 inches, has many of the habits of the 

 last-named species, but is more active in its movements, is not 

 triangular in shape, being more rounded, and has a longer head. 

 It has a chain of dark brown spots down the back and its ground- 

 colour is generally light brown. We have only had two specimens, 

 one of which was caught in the rotten bough of a tree on a river- 

 bank. Tlie greater part of the bough was occupied by an ants' nest. 

 Leptociira annulata feeds well on frogs and lizards, and \\hen very 

 much irritated attempts to bite, and when it has hold of a finger 

 tries to work into the skin the large back teeth, one on either side 

 of the upper jaw. One we kept for some mouths laid several eggs, 

 which she afterwards devoured. 



SCTTAXE COEOXATUM. 



This snake when young is a bright coral colour, with a dark 

 browTi, sometimes nearly black, head, sometimes with a white collar. 

 As the snake grows older it becomes brown, \\ith a whitish-grey 

 under surface. It is remarkable for its extreme shortsightedness, 

 not being able to see its prey even when close to it. They feed 

 largely on mice, and when one watches the clumsy efforts of these 

 snakes to capture their nimble prey it is a matter for surprise how 

 they manage to exist at all. The snake, when a mouse is in its 

 cage, lunges out wherever he imagines the mouse to be. The 

 nimble mouse avoids him with the greatest ease. It is onlv after 

 hours of persevering effort the snake manages to get the mouse, 

 probably when he is tired out with jumping about. There would be 

 absolutely no chance for the snake at all if he had to catch his 

 food in the open. In their wild state, therefore, they follow the 

 mice and Ameiva lizards on which they feed into their holes and 

 devour them in the furthest recess of their burrows. When the 

 Scytale catches a mouse in the open or in a trap or bottle he 

 constricts it, throwing as many as three coils round it and pulling 

 hard with his jaws, just as the Boas do. If Scytale hnds a nest of 

 young mice he does not take the trouble to constrict them, but bolts 

 them as Uohther corals does. Scytale has a very smooth coat, and 

 there is a peculiar shimmer about it which gives it a slimy-looking 

 appearance. They are fond of making theu' "homes underneath 

 houses (West-Indian houses are, \\ith few exceptions, raised from 

 a few inches to several feet above the gi'ound) and are useful 

 snakes because of their mice-eating propensities. One in our 

 possession laid niue eggs, which stuck together after being 

 deposited. The following incident occurred in our snake-boxes : — 



