54 
SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. ' 
in its jaws, a fish some three or four ounces in -weight, and perhaps 
six inches long. I watched the snake for about two minutes while 
it swallowed the fish on or very near the surface of the water. He 
then tried to pass between the stones into a hole in the bank ; but 
the bulge of the fish blocked the way. After several attempts he 
succeeded. 
In the North-Western Province, near Ganewatta Station, I 
noticed in a paddy field a most ingenious method of capturing 
flying foxes. Great strings of cane are hung across the narrow fields, 
and from them depend at intervals of 3 or 4 feet long streamers 
made by tying together several of the whip-like thorny shoots of the 
common jungle cane. These whips are so thin as to be almost 
invisible in the dusk, and their thorns are sufficiently tenacious to 
hold captive any unfortunate flying fox who gets into their grip. 
November 29, 1908. JOHN STILL. 
3. Some rare Aculeate Hymenoptera in Ceylon. —Whilst looking 
over some recent captures in the Colombo Museum, I was interested 
to find a fine specimen of Montezumia indica (Sauss.). This is a 
species belonging to the same family, Eumenidse, as our common 
“ mason-wasp.” The specimen in question is new to Ceylon, and 
evidently a rare species, being previously recorded from Java and 
rare fromSikhim (Fauna, Brit. Ind., Hymenoptera, vol. I., p. 350, 
pi. II., fig. 10). Thus it is widely distributed ; and it. seems 
strange that, although it is a large and conspicuous insect, it has not, 
so far as I can ascertain, been recorded from any of the intermediate 
countries. This specimen was caught at Niroddumunai, Eastern 
Province, in September, 1908. 
The other species of the same genus recorded from Ceylon and 
represented by specimens in the Colombo Museum are M . impavida 
(Bing.) and M. rufipetiolata (Wick.). The former was taken at 
Nedunkeni, Northern Province, in April 1904, and is also recorded 
from the Pegu Hills and Tenasserim (Fauna, Brit. Ind., p. 351). The 
latter was described and figured by me as a new species in Spolia 
Zeylanica , vol. V., 1908, p. 120, figs. 14 and 15 ; taken at Mamadu, 
Northern Province, April, 1904. 
Colombo, February 5, 1909. O. S. WICKWAR. 
4. Snakes of Badulla. —As requested I now send you a list of the 
snakes which I have either caught or had sent me from round about 
here during the last year. The elevation of Badulla is 2,222 feet; 
and this bungalow about 2,500 feet, four miles out of Badulla. The 
