140 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



females from Bangalore contained respectively 20, 21, and 

 25 eggs. My specimen deposited 18 eggs; and Abercromby's 

 specimen laid 32 eggs. In the latter case 13 were laid, and 

 the dam after death was found to contain 19 more. 



(h) The Eggs : Tennent and Abercromby failed to give 

 any information concerning the physical characters of the 

 eggs. The eggs deposited in my vivarium were white, soft, 

 the consistency of a grape, the poles equally domed, and the 

 length 300 to 305 mm. (about 1 inch). 



Growth. — (a) The Hatchling: Tennent does not enlighten 

 us on this point. My smallest sj)ecimens, which appeared to 

 me hatchlings, measured 167 and 174 mm. (6f and 6| inches), 

 both from Ceylon, with no dates of capture given. 



{b) Early Life: From rather meagre records at my disposal 

 it appears that it grows about 6 to 7 inches a year, so that at 

 the end of the first year of life it would be about 13 to 14 

 inches, at the end of the second about 19 to 20, and the end of 

 third about 25 to 26 inches. 



(c) Maturity: My smallest gravid specimen measured 717 

 mm. (2 feet 4^ inches). 



{d) Maximum Length: My largest specimen was 775 mm. 

 (2 feet 6J inches) long. 



Lepidosis, — Rostral : Touches five shields ; the rostro-nasal 

 sutures longer than the rostro-internasals, and the rostro- 

 labials. Inter-nasal : One. Preefrontals : A pair; the suture 

 between them subequal to, or rather longer than, the 

 praefronto-frontal ; touching the internasal, nasal, lorea), 

 prseocular, and supraocular. Frontal : Touches six shields ; 

 the fronto -supraocular sutures nearly twice the fronto- 

 parietals. Supraoculars: As long as the frontal, and about 

 half to two-thirds the breadth of the frontal. Nasal : Semi- 

 divided, a suture passing from the nostril to the first labial. 

 Loreal : One; lather shorter than the nasals. Prseocular: 

 One, not nearly touching the frontal. Postoculars : Three. 

 Temporals : Two ; the lower about as long as the supra- 

 oculars. Supralabials : Eight ; the 1st only touching the 

 nasal, 3rd and 4th the eye, and the 5th, 6th, and 7th the lower 

 temporal. Sublinguals : Two pairs ; the posterior rather 

 longer than the anterior, divc^rgent. touching the 4th, 5th, and 



