SNAKES OF OEYLON. 157 



Breeding. — (a) The Sexes : As already remarked, the female 

 appears to grow to a greater length than, the male. The sexes, 

 as regards numbers, appear to be equally balanced ; thus, my 

 note books show that of 73 specimens sexed, 36 were males, 37 

 females. It is evident that after mating the pair do not 

 dissolve partnership for a long time, if they do so at all, for 

 heavily egg-bound females have been found in company with 

 a male. I have found the anal glands, which are supposed to 

 be connected with the sexual functions, active in both sexes, 

 and at every period of the year. The secretion is custard -like 

 in colour and consistency. The copulatory male organs are 

 beset with many minute re-curved spines, and are not 

 bifid. 



(6) Method of Reproduction : It is known to be oviparous in 

 habit. 



(c) Season : I have known the sexes in company in Novem- 

 ber in Cannanore by report. In this case the native who 

 brought the male assured me it was united with another 

 which escaped. In January, in Fyzabad, two were found in 

 company in a storeroom ; and in Dibrugarh two pairs were 

 killed in company, one in June and one in July. The June 

 female was heavily egg-bound at the time, but only the 

 anterior half of the July specimen,which I assume to have been 

 a female, was brought in, the male being perfect. I have had 

 many females brought to me gravid, all, with one exception, 

 duripg the first seven months of the year. The one exception 

 was egg-bound in Rangoon on December 20. Of the rest, one 

 in Cannanore was gravid on January 20 ; three in Cannanore 

 in February ; one in Cannanore and two in Fyzabad in March ; 

 one in Cannanore, two in Fyzabad, and five in Dibrugarh in 

 April ; one in Cannanore and three in Dibrugarh in May ; 

 one in Cannanore and one in Fyzabad in June ; and three in 

 Fyzabad in July. The eggs are deposited in the months from 

 February to July. A clutch of ten eggs on the point of 

 hatching were dug out of an anthill on February 20, 1920, at 

 Anasigalla, Kalutara District. One laid five eggs in the 

 Madras Museum on March 29, 1919. 



(d) Period of Gestation : Not known. 



(e) Period of Incubation .' Not known. 



