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Show 1894.] OPHIDIA O F TRINIDAD, K W . I. 513 A pair of S. coronatum occupied a box together with a Grenada Tree-Boa (Corallus cookii) which was about the same size. A mouse was introduced and one of the Scytales immediately made several frantic efforts to seize it. The Corallus on hearing the disturbance woke up from his sleep on a branch above and partly uncoiled, bringing his head near the level of the floor and retaining bis hold on the branch. As the mouse passed he deftly caught and constricted it. Scytale, finding that the mouse had ceased to jump about, happening to come near the Tree-Boa found that he had killed the coveted morsel, and just as its rightful captor was preparing to swallow it (having relaxed his coils) it seized the mouse by the head. Boa finding the mouse being pulled away from him tighened his coils again and presently seized the mouse by the hind quarters and tried to swallow it in that way,-whilst Scytale tried at the head, which he succeeded in getting into his throat, but was not able to proceed further because of the Boa's coil. The Boa gave up trying to swallow and simply climbed up to his former lofty perch, still holding the mouse with the Scytale dragging at its head. The Boa then formed his body into a loop and threw a coil round the free ends of it. In the loop he held the mouse firmly and then settled down quietly until the Scytale had tired of his futile efforts. At length the Scytcde, after a quarter of an hour's fruitless endeavour, released the mouse's head, which was promptly seized by the Boa, who protected the rest of the body with coils. Just as the Boa had swallowed his well-earned meal and the tail was disappearing down his throat, the Scytale, who had been searching for the body, discovered that the Corallus had outwitted him. He then seized the victor by the throat and threw four coils round him. As tbe Boa was the most valuable suake, being our only one and having been obtained from Grenada only after considerable trouble, and fearing it might be injured, we put an end to the duel by removing the Scytcde to another cage. ELAPS RIISEI. This snake varies considerably from E. lemniscatus in coloration and distribution of the annuli, and in size being smaller. Its habits are also at variance with those of lemniscatus. Elaps riisei, though lively at night, is not averse to feeding in the day. It is passionately fond of water, and oue which we kept for some months used to bathe regularly every morning. If the bath was not changed at least twice a week the reptile neglected to take its diurnal " tub." Being much smaller than the lemniscatus to be referred to subsequently, it was with difficulty, that snakes small enough could be obtained for it, and resort had to be made to the tiny ground-snake, Geophis lineatus, the largest specimens of which rarely exceed 12 inches in length. These snakes it would eat at any time during day or night, but it w^as noticeable that they did not succumb to its venom before they were swallowed. On March 17th, 1894, a 67. lineatus 4 inches long was placed in the box. It was seized at 9.14 P.M., precisely iu the manner of lemnis- |
