THE HABITS ОЕ MALAY REPTILES, 197 
—— the head, the prey is crushed by the coils. In the case of 
wallowed by a fair sized python, the head was. crushed, 
а. by the first bite, but the bones of the bo dy were not 
broken at all, although the bird was very much thicker than the 
python. In some books it is stated that the prey is smothered in 
the coils, but as a matter of fact, the bite of the python is severe 
enough to cause instant death in most of the smaller victims, and 
the contraction of the coils crushes the larger ones. The main 
carcase into oper position for swallo , and to assist. the 
deglutition by pressing the food against the other coils and the 
round is only when the prey has almost disappeared down 
a good deal, is a popular native medicine. In colour the python 
varies somewhat, young and half-grown specimens being often 
almost dorum yellow. Ihave also seen a very dark, almost 
black variet 
P. molurus, = Indian python, is recorded from the penin- 
sula, but I have not seen it. 
curtus, the little red python, formerly considered very 
rare, does not seem to be so in the peninsula. It is quite small 
for a python, only 8 or 9 feet D usually. It isa quiet snake 
in captivity and seems chiefly to feed on rats. 
The little burrowing н Typhlops, are to be found in 
rotten cocoanut palms, and other trees, in the sawdust of the saw 
mills, and in the ground. А great number of sari aee нел 
escribed, but they are very difficult to identify. 
est species is Typhlops braminus. It is usually abeat pres inches 
long, and very slender, with a very small head, and minute eyes, 
and a pur uem tail. Its colour is lavender grey, or black, 
and it is very active, wriggling like a worm when disturbed. 
Cylindrophus rufus is another burrowing snake, but is much 
larger, about а foot long. Itis black, with white bands bene. ith, 
some red on its neck, and a bright red tip to its tail. It is short 
and thick, and has an odd habit of flattening itself out, and 
turning up the tip of its tail. It is common in gardens, burrow- 
ing in the groun 
