402 COLUBRIDjE. 



Head small ; anterior part of body slender, its diameter about 

 one third the depth of the posterior part. Rostral broader than 

 deep ; nasals slightly longer than the frontal, more than twice as 

 long as the suture between the prsefrontals ; frontal small, longer 

 than broad, much shorter than the parietals, or than its distance 

 from the rostral; one pne-and one postocular ; prsefrontal in con- 

 tact with the second labial ; 6 upper labials, second largest, third 

 and fourth entering the eye ; a single, large anterior temporal ; 

 two pairs of chin-shields, posterior separated by scales. 21 scales 

 round the neck, 33 round the middle of the body ; scales imbricate 

 and keeled. Ventrals distinct, but feebly enlarged, 322. Dark 

 olive, sides with vertical yellowish bars ; these bars continuous 

 across the neck. 



Total length 29 inches. 



Hob. Mergui; a single specimen. Blanford records a second 

 from Pegu. 



498. Hyd.roph.is coronatus. 



Hydrophis coronata, Giintk. Rept. S. I. p. 372, pi. xxv, fig. M ; 

 Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 192 ; Fayrer, Thanatoph. pi. xxvi. 



Head very small, narrow ; body long, extremely slender an- 

 teriorly*. Rostral broader than deep ; frontal small, longer than 

 broad, hardly as long as its distance from the rostral ; one prae- 

 and one postocular ; a single anterior temporal, descending to the 

 labial border ; 6 upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye ; 

 two pairs of chin-shields, in contact with each other. 19 to 23 

 scales round the neck, 29 to 33 round the middle of the body ; all 

 the scales rhomboidal and imbricate, dorsals with a keel, laterals 

 with a central tubercle. Ventrals hardly distinct, 321-337. Head 

 and neck blackish or dark green, the former with a horseshoe- 

 shaped yellow mark above, the convexity on the snout, the latter 

 with regular yellow cross bands or rings ; body likewise with yellow 

 cross bauds or rings, which may be interrupted on the back. 



Total length 3 feet. 



Hub. Coast of Bengal. I have examined two specimens (the 

 types), male and female ; a fine female is figured by Fayrer. 



499. HydropMs torquatus. 



Hydrophis nigvocincta, part., Schleg. Phys. Serp, ii, p. 500, pi. xviii, 



figs. 11 & 12. 



Hydrus nigrocinctus, Cantor, J. A. S. B. xvi, 1847, p. 1049. 

 Hydrophis torquata, Giinth. Kept. B. I. p. 369, pi. xxv, fig. H. 



* As in H. obscurus and other species, the neck is proportionally much more 

 slender in the female than in the male, as may be seen by the following mea- 

 surements of the two type specimens : 



cJ . Total length 2 feet 1 in. ; diameter of neck 0'25 inch ; greatest depth of 

 body 0'8 inch. 



$ . Total length 3 feet ; diameter of neck 0'25 inch ; greatest depth of 

 body 1'3 inches. 



