SNAKES OF CEYLON. 183 



August 24 measured 316 mm. (12| inches) long. Growth 

 about 4 inches in 16 days. The average length on hatching 

 on September 11 and 12 being about 15 \ inches, the growth 

 for the last 18 days was about 3 inches. The young snake 

 effects its escape from the egg by means of the foetal tooth, an 

 osseous structure developed in the prsemaxillary bone, which 

 projects under the rostral arch to beyond the snout. 



(b) The Hatchling : The first indication of the hatching of 

 my clutch was the escape of bubbles from cuts in the eggs. 

 Later the heads of the baby snakes appeared, but none seemed 

 specially anxious to leave their cradles. They frequently 

 peeped out and then withdrew into the shell before finally 

 deciding to make their perilous entry into the world, which was 

 not for many hours. Those that hatched from one brood 

 measured from 361 to 428 mm. (14 J to 16J inches). Those 

 from another varied from 368 to 387 mm. (14J to 15J inches). 

 The six hatched in Colombo I measured. The}^ varied from 

 435 to 472 mm. (17| to 18J inches). 



When hatched they are Very active little creatures. Mine 

 allowed me to handle them without attempting to bite me, but 

 Father Dreckman was bitten by one of his hatchlings that had 

 some difficulty in getting free from the egg when he tried to 

 help it, and blood was drawn. Mine refused food and milk 

 and soon died. 



The genitalia of the males are withdrawn into their sheaths 

 before the young hatch out. 



(c) Early Life : I measured some youngsters after their 

 emergence from the egg and found one grew 1J inches in 20 

 days, though it had refused all food. 



The young from my notes appear to double their length in 

 the first year of life, and continue this rate of growth during the 

 second year, when they are about 4 feet long. At the end of 

 the third year of life they are from 5 to 5J feefc long. 



(d) Maturity : It is sexually mature like all other snakes, 

 long before reaching its maximum growth. I have had gravid 

 females 1588 and 1655 mm. in length (5 feet 2 \ inches, and 5 

 feet 5|- inches), which I reckon were just about three years old. 



(e) Maximum Length : I have records of well over 200 

 specimens, and I have only seen two over 8 feet long. These 



