66 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



July 3 eight hatchlings emerged out of the 9 fertile 

 eggs. (Gunther, Rept. Brit. Ind., p. 330.) I have seen it 

 stated elsewhere on the authority of Dumeril that one 

 hatched on July 3, and eight more during the next four days. 

 Of 57 eggs deposited in Calcutta on April 11, 46 proved fertile, 

 and hatched out between June 5 and 10, i.e., 56 to 61 days 

 later. In the event reported by Mr. D'Abreu, 16 eggs were 

 deposited in 7 hours. 



(/) Number of Eggs in a Clutch: Records from various 

 sources show that from 8 to 107 eggs are deposited at one 

 laying. This python is therefore the most prolific snake 

 known to me. 



(g) The Eggs: The eggs are like goose eggs, but soft 

 shelled, the egg investment when emptied being like white 

 kid. The poles are equally domed, and the eggs in a brood 

 vary somewhat in their dimensions. Mr. D'Abreu reported 

 the measurements of six that were deposited in the Nagpur 

 Museum, as 85 to 95 mm. (3*4 to 3*8 inches) in length, and 

 56 to 64 mm. (2*2 to 2- 5 mm.) in breadth. Sterile eggs of 

 the same clutch were 55 to 78 mm. (2*2 to 3*1 inches) in 

 length and 48 to 64 mm. (1 * 8 to 2 • 5 inches) in breadth. Two 

 in the Indian Museum measured by me were 85 mm. (3*4 

 inches) long and 59 mm. (2 inches) broad. Sixteen eggs 

 extracted from a large prospective dam, and preserved in the 

 Colombo Museum, I found to be 88 to 106 mm. (3J to 4J 

 inches) long, and 54 to 62 mm. (2J to 2| inches) broad. Two 

 of these eggs that I opened contained no trace of an 

 embryo. 



The weight of one of the Colombo clutch was just 5 ounces. 

 One of the eggs deposited in Calcutta was 5J ounces, and 

 Mr. D'Abreu reported that one of his eggs weighed 6 J 

 ounces. 



Growth. — {a) Before Hatching : Mr. D'Abreu on cutting open 

 an egg after deposition found an embryo within, about 

 3 inches long, with bud -like processes on each side of 

 the cloacal aperture, representing the rudimentary hind 

 limb, and relatively much larger than the indications of these 

 structures in adults. After the eggs had been incubated for 



