SNAKES OF CEYLON. 453 



masses of hair. The diet is seemingly the same as that of the 

 Indian Krait, i.e., usually snakes, but occasionally small 

 mammals. 



Breeding. — (a) The Sexes : I know of no superficial 

 differences between the sexes. Of 15 sexed during my visit 

 to Ceylon, 9 were males and 6 females. 



( b) Method of Reproduction : Mr. Green's observations 

 prove that it is oviparous. 



(c) Season: The eggs referred to by Mr. Green were 

 discovered in the month of January. Some had hatched out, 

 and others were on the point of hatching. Some again were 

 not nearly so advanced, leading one to suppose that two 

 distinct broods were harboured in the same retreat. 



(d) Period of Gestation : Not known. 



(e) Period oj Incubation : Not known. The parent or 

 parents of the above were discovered with the eggs in a 

 hollow in the earth, beneath a wood pile. They were un- 

 fortunately not sexed nor measured. 



(/) Number in Clutch: The number of eggs in the clutch 

 referred to above was not ascertained.* The discoverer, 

 however, in his narration of the facts to Mr. Green, said 

 ' there were lots of eggs and little snakes. " 



(g) The Egg: Mr. Green's observations were as follows : 

 " The eggs have a soft leathery shell, and are lightly agglu- 

 tinated together. They are cylindrical, with rounded ends, 

 varying in length from 29 to 35 mm. with a breadth of 17 

 mm. (1 J to If inch by f of an inch). 



Growth. — (a) The Hatchling: The young measured by 

 Mr. Green taped from 230 to 260 mm. (9-ft- to 10J inches). 

 I investigated the egg-tooth of these specimens, and found a 

 structure, somewhat resembling an inverted duck's head, 

 fixed into the prsemaxilla. The edge of the " beak " Was 

 horizontal in direction, and projected slightly beyond the 

 snout. With this little structure the hatchling frees itself 

 from its egg investment by a series of cuts. There is nothing 

 determinate in the direction of these cuts, but they intersect 

 one another at various angles, until a potential window has 



