SNAKES OF CEYLON. 423 



Breeding. — (a) The Sexes : The tubercles on the scales are 

 more pronounced in males, but even in the foetus these are 

 distinguishable in the female. 



(6) Methoi of Reproduction : It is viviparous. 



(c) Season : A specimen in the Colombo Museum in a very 

 late stage of pregnancy was killed at Mount Lavinia on March 

 9, 1919. A young example 237 mm. (9J inches) was killed 

 on May 11, 1915. 



(d) Period of Gestation : Not known. 



(e) The Brood : The gravid female mentioned contained 

 two sacs 62 mm. (2 J inches) long containing foetuses measur- 

 ing 244 and 254 mm. (9| and 10 J inches). No male 

 genitalia were to be seen, so that unless both were females, 

 the foetuses were almost at full term. It is interesting to 

 note of this family that the dam conforms to variety sub- 

 obscurus, and has no yellow lateral stripe. One foetus is also 

 of variety subobscurus, but differs from the mother in having 

 a yellow lateral stripe, and the margin of the dorsal stripe 

 festooned posteriorly . The other foetus is of variety bicolor. 

 and the dorsal stripe is not festooned posteriorly. 



Growth. — (a) The Young : The measurements of the young 

 at birth have not been taken, but may be inferred from the 

 measurements of the foetuses given above and the fact that 

 three young specimens in the Colombo Museum measure 237, 

 256, and 262 mm. (9J, 10J, and 10J inches) respectively. 



(b) Maturity. — The prospective dam measured 635 mm. 

 (2 feet 1 inch). 



(c) Maximum Length. — My largest record is 722 mm. 

 (2 feet 4 J inches). 



Poison. — In " Land and Water ' ; (November 15, 1879) is 

 an account of one that climbed up the anchor chain of a man- 

 of-war in the Ganges. An unfortunate midshipman who 

 tried to capture it was bitten and died shortly afterwards. 



Epizoa.— Dr. Willey (" Spolia Zeylanica," 1906, p. 207, 

 and 1910, p. 180) has remarked upon two barnacles that 

 attach themselves to this snake. These are Conchoderma 

 virgatum, variety hunteri (Owen), and Lepas anserifera 

 (Linne*) Br. Annandale has informed me of others, viz., 



