SNAKES OE CEYLON. 511 



The female escaped. I have collected over thirty records 

 from various sources, including my own notes, and find that 

 females in various stages of pregnancy have been killed in 

 every month of the year. Mr. Green killed a female in Ceylon 

 in December containing small eggs. Mosse had a similar 

 specimen in March at Guzerat. I had a similar specimen at 

 Trichinopoly in April, and another in May. One killed in 

 Ceylon on July 28, 1915, held 30 eggs rotund in form, and 

 about 12 by 12 mm. (J by J an inch). Young in various 

 stages of growth have been seen right up to November. 



The young are born from May on to November, much the 

 most usual months being June and July. I have had many 

 specimens less than 305 mm. (1 foot) long brought to me 

 between May and September at various times. 



(d) Period of Gestation : This is definitely known to exceed 

 six months. Bannerman reported that a female acquired on 

 December 6, 1905, gave birth to her young on June 21, 1906, 

 at Parel (over 197 days). Narayan Rao recorded the birth 

 at Bangalore on June 8, 1917, of a brood. The dam in this 

 case was acquired in the first week of December. 



Growth. — (a) The Young : When born the young measure 

 from 200 to 280 mm. (7J to 11 inches). I believe the low 

 measurements, sometimes recorded, are the result of the 

 artificial conditions of life in the vivarium, and that in speci- 

 mens living under natural conditions the progeny reaches a 

 length of 250 to 280 mm. (10 to 11 inches) before birth. The 

 two specimens submitted to me from Narayan Rao's brood, 

 where the dam had been over six months a captive, measured 

 200 and 212 mm. (7J and 8f inches). 



Members of the same brood vary a little in length. The 71 

 young born of two broods at Parel, and carefully examined 

 by me, the males measured 230 to 260 mm. (9 to 10 J inches), 

 and the females 2 15 to 2 55 mm. (8 J to 10 inches). 



When born the young show much more activity than adults. 

 They strike out boldly at any offending object, and I have 

 witnessed one attack and bite a mouse, which succumbed in a 

 few seconds, showing that the poison is active from the time 

 of birth. Similarly, Dr. Shortt saw a young daboia only 

 215 mm. (8 j inches) long kill a young partridge weighing 9J 



