120 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



(c) Early Life: As far as I can judge, the young double 

 their length in the first year of life and have trebled it by the 

 end of the second, and any further increase in length is small 

 and slow. 



(d) Maturity : The smallest gravid female I have had was 

 442 mm. (1 foot 5 J inches) long, but many have been from 457 

 to 470 (1 foot 6 inches to 1 foot 7 inches), all lengths attained 

 at the end of the second year. It is evident, therefore, from 

 my numerous records that the majority of individuals mate at 

 this early age . It is interesting to note from the measurements 

 of hatchlings given above, all of which were from Dibrugarh, 

 how close the measurements of individuals in the same 

 brood run, whilst there is an appreciable difference in the 

 average length of members of different broods. 



(e) Maximum Length: I have about 200 recorded measure- 

 ments in my note books and find that the length differs 

 considerably in the sexes. Of males, I have only had eight 

 specimens of 530 mm. (1 foot 9 inches) and over, of which only 

 four reached 555 mm. (1 foot and 10 inches), the largest being 

 567 mm. (1 foot 10J inches). On the other hand, I have had 

 thirteen females exceeding 620 mm. (2 feet) in length. Two 

 taped 710 mm. (2 feet 4 inches) in Dibrugarh, and another 

 735 mm. (2 feet 5 inches) in Fyzabad. Another specimen 

 from Dibrugarh I judge to have been still larger, for the body 

 was 600 mm. (1 foot 11 \ inches) out of a total length of 710 mm. 

 (2 feet 4 inches). In three females in which the total lengths 

 were 622, 647, and 653 mm. (2 feet \ an inch, 2 feet \\ 

 inch, and 2 feet If inch), the tails measured 152 and 160 

 (6 and 6J inches) respectively, so that at the lowest computa- 

 tion this specimen would have been, if perfect, 2 inches longer, 

 and possibly 3, making a length of 762 to 785 mm. (2 feet 6 or 

 7 inches). 



Parasites. — (a) Entozoa: The buff-striped keelback har- 

 bours many entozoa. One of these is a maggot-like creature 

 called Porocephalus crotali (see Fig. 21). It is whitish in 

 colour, about three-quarters of an inch long, and attaches 

 itself to the tissues about the entrails of the snake, but is 

 not found in the intestine or solid organs. Several are to be 

 found in the same snake, but always solitary. The head. 



