SNAKES OF CEYLON. 119 



it sometimes wholly withdraws itself within the shell after 

 having almost vacated it, and often, after lying with its head 

 and forebody emerging, many hours elapse before it finally 

 disengages itself and effects its entry into the world. 



In Rangoon I had one lot of embryos hatching out on 

 August 1 and 3, another on September 10 and 11, and on a 

 third occasion on October 22 (not November as previously 

 reported in the Bombay Natural History Journal, Vol. XIII., 

 p. 351). In Dibrugarh I had embryos hatching on June 10. 

 and others on July 5 and 6. 



In Cannanore I had a hatchling 6 J inches long on November 

 21, one in Dehra Dun 5| inches long on October 8, one in 

 Bangalore 7J inches on September 29, two in Fyzabad measur- 

 ing 5} and 6J inches in October, and two measuring 5§ inches 

 in November. 



At the time of hatching the male has the genitals ensheathed 

 and concealed from view, but I have had an embryo of 6J 

 inches length in which they were extruded, showing that it is 

 only at a very late stage of embryonic development that their 

 invagination occurs. 



When the hatchling first leaves the egg, it may or may not 

 have part of the yolk sac adhering to the navel. This orifice, 

 or the recently obliterated remains of it, is very apparent in 

 the hatchling and remains so for some months, but eventually 

 becomes completely effaced. At exovation from 14 to 18 

 ventral shields intervene between it and the anal shield and 

 the scar itself involves two or even three ventrals. 



When the hatchling vacates the egg it is from 5J to 7 inches 

 in length, and there is little difference in the length of the 

 sexes, for in one brood two males were 6 and 6J, and two 

 females 6| and 7 inches, respectively. In another brood one 

 male was 5 7/32, and four females 5 5/16, 5§, 5 J, and 5 J, 

 respectively. In a third case a male was 6J- and a female of 

 the same clutch 6| inches. It is curious this being the case 

 that all through my notes the average measurements of the 

 female in each month appreciably exceed those of the male, 

 and this becomes increasingly apparent till by the end of the 

 second year there is a disparity of 2 inches or more in favour 

 of the female. 



