884 MR. A. LOVERIDQE : NOTES ON 



was much bitten on the hands (which bled freely), but suffered 

 no ill effects. After the first excitement, incidental to capture, 

 they settle down to a life of confinement and are the gentlest of 

 snakes. 



I found a young specimen in the stomach of a hawk (Butastur 

 rufipennis) at Morogoro on 31. i. 18. 



Parasitic worms {Filaria sp.) were found encysted in the skin. 

 Ticks {Aponomma lasve Linn.) were found on a Kilosa snake 

 (20.V.23). 



PsAMMOPnis suBTiENiATUS Peters. 

 Blgr. Cat. Snakes, iii. 1896, p. 160. 



The Stripe-bellied Sand Snake called Sangaraza in Kiswahili 

 is so widely distributed that I have not troubled to catch many 

 this tour, as forty-six were collected in 1915-19; about a score 

 were taken 1920-22 from many fresh localities near Dakawa, 

 Mkindo Mkata Stn., Ilonga, Kimamba, Ohanzuru, Kilosa, Itende, 

 Kidoti, Suna, Mtali's, Sekenke lid., 20 miles from Mkalama, 

 Usshora, Wembere, Tabora, Sanga, Lalago, Sagayo, N)ambita, 

 and Lumbo. 



This snake is an expei-t climber ; one flashed across my path 

 and was 20 feet up in the topmost twigs of a stunted tree in a 

 moment. My attention was drawn to another five feet up in a 

 maiombo bush, but so well did it blend with its surroundings that 

 I could not distinguish it until it moved, though I was within 

 ten feet of it all the time. I caught several in the thatches of 

 native huts, where they had gone in search of skinks I believe. 



My largest male measured 49| inches (861 + 399) and female 

 45| inches (775 + 383). Both from Morogoro. 



Whilst the colouring in specimens from one locality seems 

 constant, a great deal of variation occurs between examples fi-om 

 different localities. The characteristic black ventral lines were 

 indistinguishable, except with the closest examination when 

 traces could be seen, in the Kidete specimen collected by Mr. 

 G. F. M. Swynnerton. Four snakes from Mtali's had pure white 

 instead of deep yellow bellies. At Suna the coloration is adapted 

 to the sandy thornbush in which they live, and which seems to 

 influence the coloration of its typical mammals and, to a less 

 extent, birds. 



This species will eat mammals, birds, snakes, and lizards. 

 A specimen taken at Frere Town after a hard chase was placed 

 in an ordinary small biscuit tin, about 8x5 inches in size. The 

 following day a native brought me a Warbler (Prinia niystacea) 

 with its head almost knocked off, this I dropped into the tin, 

 and on opening it the following day found a bulge in the snake 

 and no visible bird. This freshly-caught diurnal snake had eaten 

 a damaged dead bird in the darkness of a small tin on the day 

 succeeding capture. There is no saying what a snake will do. 



The following note:- was made at Kimamba on 15. viii. 21: 



