SNAKES OF OEYLON, 537 



at Mtiltan. A brood of 15 was deposited in the Madras 

 Museum on June 18, 1918, and another of 5 on November 10, 

 1917. 



(d) Period of Gestation : This is not known, but a note in 

 the Bombay Natural History Journal (Vol. XX., page 230) 

 by Colonel Bannerman implies that it is over six months. 

 Infertile eggs were laid on July 8, and the last of six echides 

 in this case was acquired on February 10. The writer does not 

 say, however, that none of these were males, and there is 

 therefore considerable doubt in my mind as to the intended 

 significance of his remark. 



Growth. — (a) The Young: From three to fifteen are 

 produced in one brood. The young vary from 115 to 162 mm. 

 (4J to 6 inches) in length when born. One of a brood deposited 

 in the Madras Museum measured 137 mm. (5| inches). Those 

 born in my vivarium lay in a confused heap apart from the 

 mother, who took no notice of them. 



(b) Early Life : I have not been able to follow the broods 

 of successive years. 



(c) Maturity: The Lahore gravid female sent to me was 

 only 355 mm. (1 foot 2 inches) long, so if the echis grows at 

 the same rate as most snakes, and doubles its length in the 

 first year of life, this specimen was not much more than a year 

 old. 



(d) Maximum Length : Most specimens are less than 457 

 mm. (1 foot 6 inches) in lengbh, and they rarely attain to 

 610 mm. (2 feet). The largest I know of are one reported by 

 Mr. Colon from Jodhpore, which measured 760 mm. (2 feet 

 6 inches), and one by Lieut. -Colonel Major, which taped 788 

 mm. (2 feet 7 inches). 



Poison. — (a) The Fangs : These are canaUculate, and 

 usually there are two operative fangs in each maxilla. They 

 are remarkably long for the size of the snake. Those in a 

 skull in my collection, prepared from a specimen 380 mm. 

 (1 foot 3 inches) in length, measure 5 mm. (-^ of an inch). 



b) The Glands : These are roughly almond-shaped and 

 placed behind the eye. The surface is corrugated, unUke the 

 cobra's glands, which are smooth. 



