372 Meptilia and Amphibia from Central India. [No. 4, 



22. Ptyas mucosus, (L.) 



The common rat snake appears to me to be much less common 

 in the Deccan proper, west of Nagpur, than it is to the eastward. 

 This snake attains a greater size than that given by G- ii n t h e r, 

 I shot one this year 7 feet 7 inches long, of which the tail was 2 

 feet 1 inch. The ventral shields were 197, subcaudals 124. 



On another occasion I saw a Ptyas mucosus seize and commence 

 to swallow a large Calotes versicolor. When my attention was first 

 attracted, the snake was fairly pursuing the lizard at full speed 

 along a sandy path. Presently both stopped, the snake made a 

 slight movement and in an instant had the head of the lizard well 

 within his jaws and his body thrown over that of his victim. 



Zoc. Central Provinces, Chota-Nagpiir &c. 



23. Zamenis (?) brachyitrus, G ii n t h e r. 



Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1866, Ser. 3., Vol. XVIII, p. 27, 

 pi. vi, figs. A. A. 



A small snake, which I captured on the ground in thin tree 

 jungle, proves to belong to this rare species, though it differs so 

 much in appearance from other Indian forms of Zamenis that I 

 was inclined to look upon it as a species of Coronella. The speci- 

 men measured when captured 21£ inches, of which the tail is 3 

 inches only. Ventrals 213, subcaudals 53. It agrees very well 

 with Giinther's description. In the fresh specimen the co- 

 loration was almost uniform, olivaceous above and whitish below, 

 in spirits an indistinct marking becomes more apparent, the ante- 

 rior portion of the scales in the front part of the trunk being 

 paler than the remainder, and the ventral scales have a dark 

 hinder border. The last maxillary tooth is very little if at all 

 larger than the preceding, and although, on one side of the jaw, 

 it is separated from the latter by an interspace, this is evidently 

 due to loss, as, on the opposite side, the distances between all the 

 teeth are regular. If perfect, there would probably be about 10 

 or 12 maxillary teeth on each side of the jaw. 



The back is somewhat compressed and almost keeled towards 

 the tail, the scales are perfectly smooth, in 23 rows, and the anal 

 undivided, as in the British Museum specimen. 



Loc. S. E. Berar, near Wiin. 



