1894. J 05" A CASE OIF OITE SNAKE SWALLOWING ANOTHER. 669 



Cohhomphalus rather minimizes than supports the view which 

 Fischer has expressed. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XLIV. 



Fig. 1. C'olpodaspis ptisilla, from Plymouth. Dorsal view of the animal creep- 

 ing upon a flat surface ; enlarged. 

 F. Foot. 



M. Mantle enclosing sheU. 

 P. Pallial appendage. 

 S. PalKal siphon. 



2. Ventral view of same, as creeping inverted on the surface-film. 



PI. Pleuropodial expansion. 

 T. Tentacles. 



3. Denticles from the radula of same. Zeiss, Obj. D, Oc. 4, Cam. luc. 



a. A half-row, showing the sickle-shaped admedian and the pair 



of lateral denticles. The apices are recurved upwards 

 towards the observer. 



b. Same as a, but from the growing part of the radula. The 



denticles are seen to be connected by a chitinous sheet. 



c. Two admedian denticles. 



d. Lateral denticles. 



4. Two views of shell of same, enlarged. 



3. On a singular case of one Snake swallowing another 

 in the Society's Reptile-House. By A. D. Bartlett, 

 Superintendent of the Society's Gardens. 



[Eeceived November 5, 1894.] 



Since January last, two fine examples of the Common Boa (Boa 

 constrictor) have lived together on friendly terms in one of the 

 large compartments in the Eeptile-House. One of these, rather the 

 larger, was presented by Messrs. Mole and Urich, Oct. 12, 1892, 

 the other, rather smaller one, was purchased on Jan. 9, 1894. 



The Snakes are usually fed at dusk once a week, and on the 

 evening of October 5th, Tyrrell, the keeper of the Eeptile-House, 

 placed two pigeons in the den of the two Boa Constrictors. 

 The larger one seized one of the pigeons, and no doubt swallowed 

 it, after which the keeper closed the house and left. On his 

 return the next morning he was astonished to find only one Boa 

 in the compartment instead of two, and from the enormously 

 increased size of the remaining one, he concluded at once that the 

 larger Boa had swallowed its companion. That this was so was 

 evident to aU who visited the house. The enormous enlargement 

 of the creature's body was most remarkable. It had no longer the 

 power of curling itself roimd, as snakes usually do, but remained 

 extended nearly its full length in a straight line, and appeared to 

 be at least three times its normal size in circumference. It was 

 almost painful to see the distended skin, which had separated 

 the scales all over the middle of the body. After examining the 

 snake, my expectation was that it would ultimately disgorge its 



