SNAKES OF CEYLON. 363 



(c) Season : No dates are available for the Indian gravid 

 specimens I have examined. 



(d) The Brood : The three prospective mothers investigated 

 by me contained three, eight, and nine embryos, respectively. 

 Another specimen recorded by Fayrer contained sixteen young. 



Growth. — (a) The Young : I have extracted unborn em- 

 bryos varying from 356 to 381 mm. (14 to 15 inches in length) 

 from one mother which appeared to be on the eve of birth. 



(b) Early Life : I have omitted in my notes to record 

 lengths, and the large material that has passed through my 

 hands yields no recorded notes that will allow me to make 

 any inductions. 



(c) Maturity : The smallest Indian pregnant specimen I 

 have investigated was 889 mm. (2 feet 11 inches). 



(d) Maximum Length : Average adults range between 

 about 1,220 and 1,525 mm. (4 and 5 feet). The largest 

 example in the British Museum is 1,474 mm. (4 feet 10 inches). 

 I have seen one in the Colombo Museum, 1,790 mm. (5 feet 

 10 \ inches). Murray says it grows to 2,135 mm. (7 feet). 



Poison. — Russell caused his specimen, which was 1,525 mm. 

 (5 feet) long, to bite a fowl, with the result that death ensued 

 in eight minutes. No casualties are on record, and the 

 poison has not been submitted to laboratory tests. 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : Broader than high ; the 

 portion visible above half to two-thirds the suture between 

 the nasals. Nasals : A suture usually passes from the nostril 

 to the 2nd supralabial. Prefrontals : Touch the 2nd supra- 

 labials. Frontal : Entire ; longer than broad ; the fronto- 

 parietal sutures longer than the fronto -supraoculars. Supra- 

 oculars : Length two -thirds to three-fourths the frontal ; 

 breadth two-thirds to three-fourths the frontal. Parietals : 

 Entire ; touching the upper postoculars. Prseoculars : One. 

 Postoculars : Two. Temporals : Two small scales super- 

 imposed anteriorly. Supralabials : Seven or eight ; very 

 variable ; the first four or five usually large, the rest small, 

 all from the third backwards are very prone to division ; 1st 

 and 2nd touching the nasals ; 3rd, 4th, and 5th the eye. Sub- 

 linguals : Two pairs ; the fellows of both in contact with one 

 another. Infralabials : Five ; 3rd and 4th subequal and 



52 6(6)20 



