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Show 1883.] MESSRS. SALVIN AND GODMAN ON A NEW OTIDIPHAPS. 33 " A specimen of Saurophis crucifer, which I had in captivity, laid four eggs from || and y L to an inch long. "Another Snake in the same box (probably a young Coronella eana) seized and swallowed one of the eggs; then C. eana seized S. crucifer across the lower part of the body, as if to hasten tbe presentation of another egg. My presence seemed to cause it to desist. After this the Coronella eana discovered another egg, which it ate. A quarter of an hour after this C. eana seized S. crucifer across the middle of tbe body, and dragged and turned her so as to expose the underneath portion; then desisting, it swallowed the remaining two eggs; then it again seized the S. crucifer about the middle, and pressed it between its jaws forcibly and progressively downwards toward the tail for three or four inches. After this C. eana searched through the sand in the box, turning it up in every direction as if seeking for more of its desired food. It seized S. crucifer several times in the same manner, sometimes raising it two inches from the sand and dragging it. After this treatment of the one Snake by the other had continued about two hours, I removed the S. crucifer into another box. "It appears also that Lizards destroy Snakes. A young example of S. crucifer and a Lizard (of which I forget the name just now) were in a box together. Neither interfered with the other for two or three days. One day when I was looking at them, the Lizard attacked the Snake. It touched it in various places with its tongue, trod upon it, attacked it, so as to cause it to turn about, as if in pain and greatly frightened. After this process had continued for some minutes, the Lizard bit the Snake in the side about one third of its length from the head, and the Snake immediately gave signs of dying. I took it out of the box, as I wished to examine its teeth ; and on opening its mouth, it partially recovered in m y hands, and lived for three or four hours, when it died. It is now in the South-African Museum, placed in spirit so as to exhibit the wound in the side. The Lizard having died also some time after, was also placed in the museum. A native from the central part of the Colony has since told me that there are Lizards which will attack and kill Snakes even if a yard long. But this statement, until established, should be taken cum grano." The following papers were read :- 1. On a third Species of Otidiphaps. By O. SALVIN and F. D. GODMAN. [Received February 5, 1883.] In a small collection of birds recently sent us by Mr. Andrew Goldie from the Dentrecasteaux Islands, near the extreme eastern end of N e w Guinea, are two specimens of an Otidiphaps belonging to a species quite distinct from both O. nobilis of North-western New Guinea, and O. cervicalis of the south-eastern ranges of the great P R O C . Z O O L . Soc-1883, No. III. 3 |