536 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



says : " The snakes each time struck at the rat savagely and 

 repeatedly, but no trace of blood could be seen on the animal." 

 These creatures were all in captivity at Guindy near Madras. 

 Major 0. A. Smith told me of one that was strangled by John's 

 earth snake (Eryxjohni). 



Breeding, — (a) The Sexes : My notes throw no light on any 

 disparity in the sexes, nor have I observed any difference in 

 the length or lepidosis of the sexes. 



(b) Method of Reproduction : The echis is viviparous in habit. 

 Major 0. A. Smith witnessed the birth of three young on August 

 6, 1907, in Multan. The mother had been three weeks in 

 captivity. The first snakeling was born in membranes at 

 10.40 a.m., and took " a long time " to burst them and force 

 its Way out. The second born in membranes at 11.12 a.m. 

 took four minutes getting free. The third, also born in 

 membranes, was discharged at 11 .25 a.m., began struggling at 

 11 .50 a.m., and was free at 11 .53 a.m. It was observed that 

 in trying to free themselves they exerted pressure with their 

 snouts against the membrane. After their birth " a lot of jelly- 

 like substance, whitish in colour, was passed out," which, I 

 think, may have been a non-fertile egg. During birth it was 

 noticed that a globular bag containing orange-coloured fluid first 

 gained exit, increasing in size, and expanding the cloaca till 

 the rest of the bag containing the coiled embryo escaped. 

 The young were " proximately 112 mm. (4J inches) long." 



(c) Season ; Mating evidently takes place during the winter 

 months when the echis is hibernating. 



I had a gravid female with young ready to be born, length 

 140 mm. (5| inches), from Lahore in June. 



Candy says that at Ratnagiri he ascertained after careful 

 inquiry that the young are born in April, May, and June. 

 Colonel Bannerman told me of two broods produced at Parel 

 in June, and one in July. One in Regent's park, Miss Hopley 

 tells us, produced young in July. A captive specimen in my 

 vivarium at Trichinopoly gave birth to her brood in August. 

 Sir A. H. McMahon told me he came across a lot of young 

 echides in August at Quetta, and had heard of others found 

 in the same month. Major Smith's brood Were born in August 



