SNAKES OF CEYLON. 297 



of the undulations are rhythmically reversed with much 

 muscular effort, with the effect that the mass is speedily 

 passed on to the stomach. 



Growth.— -(a) Length at Birth: When born the young vary 

 from 260 to 390 mm. (11 to 15 inches). One measured by Green 

 in Ceylon was 330 mm. (12| inches). One measured by 

 Kinnear in Bombay was 335 mm. (13 inches). Mr. Nair writes 

 to me of two broods born at Trivandrum, the young of which 

 varied from 280 • 5 to 330 mm. (11 to 12| inches). A specimen 

 in Madras gave birth to three, one of which measured 342 

 mm. (13J inches). I have removed foetuses from the dead 

 mother that taped 335 mm. (13 inches) on two occasions, 

 and on another these varied from 320 to 370 mm. (12| to 141 

 inches). One in the Colombo Museum measures 311 mm. 

 (12J inches). Ferguson, however, reported young-born at 

 Trivandrum 440 mm. (17 inches) long. 



(b) Early Life : From a long series collected in the Nilgiri 

 Hills it is evident that the young approximately double 

 their length in the first year of life, being then from 23 to 32 

 inches long. They continue to grow at the same rate during 

 the second year, at the end of which they measure from 39 to 

 47 inches. 



(c) Maturity: My smallest mothers measured 46 J and 47 

 inches respectively, and Blanford has recorded one 44 inches 

 long. These measurements show that maturity is reached 

 by the end of the second year of life. 



(d) Maximum Length: It frequently grows to 1,525 mm. 

 (5 feet). I have had exceptional specimens 1,779 mm. (5 feet 

 10 inches) and 1,842 mm. (6 feet and J an inch). Kinnear 

 has recorded two gravid females measuring respectively 1,779 

 mm. (5 feet 10 inches) and 1,944 mm. (6 feet 4J inches). 



Breeding. — (a) Sexes : Females attain to a greater length 

 than males. I have eight records of females exceeding 1,525 

 mm. (5 feet), and two exceeding 1,830 mm. (6 feet). On the 

 other hand, I have only two records of males exceeding 50 

 inches, viz., 1,288 and 1,295 mm. (50| and 51 inches). 



The tail in the male is relatively longer than in the 

 female. 



43 6(6)20 



