SNAKES OF CEYLON. 211 



(c) Season : This appears to occupy a considerable period 

 of the year. Among the ninety above referred to I found 

 many gravid. In some ovarian follicles were obviously 

 fertilized, these being enlarged, opaque, and yellow compared 

 with others in the ovaries. Every stage of development was 

 found in various specimens, and in some the eggs appeared 

 to be ripe for discharge. Some females appeared undulv thin, 

 and in poor health suggesting that they had deposited eggs 

 already. Further, the ninety specimens varied so much in 

 length as to suggest that breeding goes on all through the 

 year. Two specimens were between 4 and 5 inches, five 

 between 5 and 6 inches, nine between 6 and 7, four between 7 

 and 8, five between 8 and 9, nine between 9 and 10, ten between 

 10 and 11, seventeen between 11 and 12, twelve between 12 

 and 13, twelve between 13 and 14, and five over 14 inches. 



(d) The Eggs : I have not seen any egg after deposition. 

 The largest I measured after extraction from the parent were 

 about 25 mm. (1 inch) long, and about 16 mm. (f of an inch) 

 broad. 



No less than fourteen of the ninety specimens just alluded 

 to were egg-bound, and I have examined many others in a 

 similar state. From four to twelve eggs are usually deposited. 

 One female, however, contained twenty eggs in two distinct 

 stages of development. Seven in one ovary and five in the 

 other were large, whilst five in one ovary and three in the 

 other were much smaller. I have no hesitation in pronouncing 

 this a condition resulting from two distinct conceptions, the 

 first I have any knowledge of among snakes. 



Growth. — (a) The Hatchling: The smallest specimens I 

 have examined, which I believe to have been hatchlings, were 

 106 and 110 mm. (4 J and 4f inches) long. Two measuring 

 106 and 109 mm. (4J and 4 -ffc inches) were found in company 

 with a female specimen (presumably the dam) on August 10. 



(b) Early Life : I have not been able to follow the broods, 

 as breeding appears to be going on all the year. 



(c) Maturity : I have found two egg -bound females 280 mm. 

 (11 inches) long and others little longer. The general rule 

 that the longer the mother the larger the brood, is well exem- 

 plified from my notes. The largest 412 mm. (16J inches) 



