312 NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF SNAKES FROM THE KHASI HILLS, ASSAM. BY Major F. Wall, i.m.s., c.m.z.s. During August, September, and October this year in Shillong I acquired, among other natural history objects, a large and fairly representative collection of snakes, amounting to 264 specimens, re-presenting 29 species, of which one, a Typhlops, is new to science. This I propose to name tephrosoma. The locality is a peculiarly attractive one to the collector, as much from the interest attaching to it from geographical considerations as for the abundance of the species available, many of which seem to be peculiar to this and the neighbouring hills. Shillong is situated in the Khasi Hills of Assam at an altitude of 4,900 feet. From 4,500 to 5,500 feet probably indicates the outside limits from which all the specimens were derived with one exception, viz., Dipsadomorphus cyaneus, which I got at Nongpho (1.800 feet). Referring; to Boulenger's Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (1893 to 1896), Sclater's List of Snakes in the Indian Museum (1891), and my own notes which include two new species, the descriptions of which appear in this issue, there are at least 79 species known to inhabit Assam. Some of these appear to be restricted to the Hills, but it would be difficult to define the limits of elevation within which they occur. Similarly, it is impossible to fix any limit to the elevation to which the species commonly met with in the plains may wander. The mortality from snakebite appears to be insignificant. The Khasis that I interrogated assured me that though snakebite casualties were not uncommon, fatalities were rare. This received confirmation in two quarters. The Cantonment Magistrate in answer to my en-quiries informed me that since 1899 (prior to which no records are available) no death within Cantonments had been returned as due to snakebite. Again, at the Civil Hospital I was told that cases of snakebite were not uncommon. Many of the cases, however, merely received treatment, and insisted on returning to their homes, the ultimate issue of these cases being lost sight of, but no death had been reported. Of eight cases that were actually admitted into this
BioStor
