226 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society [I; H 



Subfamily Hydrophiinae: The food of the reptiles that have 

 taken to a marine life, consists of fish, crustaceans and various other 

 types of salt-water invertebrates. Very few examples that have 

 been observed in captivity have been induced to feed, and small fish 

 were taken. Wild specimens have been noted feeding upon fish 

 which were quickly subdued by the poison. Owing to the roving 

 disposition of these serpents, demanding more activity than displayed 

 by terrestrial snakes, they undoubtedly feed at quite frequent inter- 

 vals. 



Subfamily Elapinae: Unlike the subfamilies of the Aglypha and 

 Opisthoglypha, the genera of the Elapinae evince little tendency for 

 arrangement into groups from the standpoint of relationship and 

 well-defined selection of food. At least one genus, however, exhibits 

 food selection of marked interest. This is the single New World 

 genus of the subfamily — Elaps. The writer has had abundant 

 living material for study for an extended period of years. All of these 

 snakes are cannibalistic and absolutely restrict the food to other 

 species of snakes and lizards. 



Of the Elapinae of the Australian fauna, Pseudechis, Diemenia 

 and Brachyaspis prefer small mammals and birds to other food, 

 although they occasionally eat lizards. None could be coaxed to take 

 batrachians which appeared quite foreign to their diet. Of the 

 African species studied, the Ringhals, Sepedon haemachates and 

 three species of Naja were of similar habits. 



The Indo-Malayan cobras, Naja tripudians and N. bungarus 

 (King Cobra) exhibit food habits of great contrast. The common 

 cobra feeds ravenously upon small mammals and birds and lives for 

 years in captivity. It will also eat birds' eggs, but instead of break- 

 ing the shells in the throat by muscular contraction as is the habit of 

 most colubrine serpents* when thus feeding, the eggs are swallowed 

 entire and the shells left to be broken by the action of the gastric 

 juices, which process is completed in about forty-eight hours. The 

 writer has never observed an example of the Indian Cobra feeding 

 upon either reptiles or batrachians, and it is his belief that this 

 species limits its food to warm-blooded creatures. Compared with 

 the feeding habits of the Indian Cobra, the diet of the King Cobra, 

 Naja bungarus, is of particular interest, as this nearly allied, much 

 larger and powerful snake is strictly cannibalistic. It appears never 



*A habit commonly displayed by Coluber, Pituophis and allied genera. 



