SNAKES OF CEYLON. 535 



(e) Progression: Many observers have remarked upon its 

 activity. Mr. Millard wrote to me as follows :*" It moves 

 very rapidly, when it wishes to escape, by almost throwing 

 itself from its tail." I have not seen the echis manifest such 

 activity, but believe that many snakes can do so when making 

 their utmost endeavours to escape. I have certainly seen 

 Russell's viper do so. I can find no better way of describing 

 the muscular effort than as a jump. As a rule, I have found 

 the echis maintain its ground, and when closely approached 

 start rubbing its flanks together with great assiduity. 



(/) Hissing : Fayrer remarks that he thinks echis does not 

 hiss. Whether it does so or not, no ordinary hissing, except 

 perhaps that of Russell's viper, would be audible during the 

 production of the loud false -hissing sound made by the friction 

 of its serrate keels. 



(g) Hibernation : In the Punjab the echis retires in the winter 

 months, but some emerge even then from their quarters to 

 bask in the heat of the sun. 



(h) Sloughing : Fayrer noted on October 15 of some speci- 

 mens he had in captivity " it is a remarkable thing that none 

 of these echis have shed their epidermis since they came here 

 three months ago." 



Food. — Mr. Millard tells me those in captivity at Bombay 

 fed freely on mice, centipedes, and scorpions, but he has also 

 known them eat frogs, and on one occasion a locust. One 

 swallowed another of the same species, which it subsequently 

 disgorged . Two in the Madras Museum ate the frogs offered 

 to them. Gunther says he never found anything but centi- 

 pedes (Scolopendrse) in the stomachs he opened. Major 0. A. 

 Smith says those he had ate skinks with avidity. I have also 

 known one in its natural haunts eat a gecko. 



Foes. — Though such a truculent little reptile, it is sometimes 

 overpowered by creatures one would expect it to vanquish, or 

 at least to hold its own with. Mr. BouJenger says, on the 

 authority of Mr. Mountford, that the Sind krait (Bungarus 

 sindanus) is reported to frequently eat the echis. Jerdon 

 records a sand snake (Psammophis condanarus) having eaten 

 one, and Elliot reports a case where the common house rat 

 killed three echides without suffering in any way. He 



