408 COLUBEIDJE. 



b'. Second pair of chin-shields, if distinct, 

 separated by several scales ; 35-42 

 scales round neck, 40-50 round middle 



of body D. ornata, p. 411. 



b. Frontal shield as broad as long ; anterior 



ventrals comparatively very broad .... D. viperina, p. 413. 



505. Distira stokesii. 



Hydras major, part., Shaw, Zool. iii, p. 558 ; Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 58. 

 Hydras stokesii, Gray, in Stokes, Australia, i, p. 502, pi. iii. 

 Hydrophis schizopholis. Schmidt, Abh. Naturw. 'Hamb. i, 1846, 



p. 166, pi. xv ; Dion. $ Bilir. Erp. fli-n. vii, p. 1357. 

 Hydrus annulatus, Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 50. 

 Astrotia schizopholis. Fischer, Abh. Natunr. Hamb. iii, 1856, p. 38 ; 



Jan, Icon. Ophid. 30, pi. iii. 

 Hydrophis stokesii, Gunth. Eept. B. I. p. 363. 



? Hydrophis guentheri, Theob. Cat. Eept. As. Soc. Mm. 1868, p. 60. 

 ? Hydrcphis granosa, Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 190. 

 Hydrophis guttata, Murray, J. Bomb. N. H. Soc. ii, 1887, p. 33. 



Head moderate ; body stout. Kostral as deep as broad ; nasals 

 shorter than the frontal, more than twice as long as the suture 

 between the praDfrontals ; frontal longer than broad, as long as or 

 slightly longer than its distance from the rostral ; one prae- and 

 two postoculars ; 9 or 10 upper labials, fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 entering the eye, if not divided to form a series of suboculars ; two 

 or three superposed anterior temporals ; no chin-shields. 39 to 47 

 scales round the neck, 48 to 53 round the middle of the body ; 

 scales much imbricate, pointed, keeled, the keel frequently broken 

 up into two tubercles. Ventrals usually distinct only quite 

 anteriorly, further back in pairs and not larger than the adjoining 

 scales ; 240-267. Yellowish or pale brownish, with broad black 

 dorsal cross bands, or with complete black annuli. 



Total length 5 feet. 



Hal. From the Makran coast and the Chinese Sea to the Xorth 

 coast of Australia. 



506. Distira jerdonii. 



Hmsell, Ind. Serp. ii, pi. xii. 



Hydras nigrocinctus, var., Cantor, J. A. S. B. xvi, 1847, p. 1050, 



pi. xl, fig. 8. 



Kerilia jerdonii, Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 57. 

 Hydrus cantori, Jerdun, J. A. S. B. xxii, 1854, p. 526. 

 Hydrophis ierdonii, Gilnth. Kept. B. I. p. 362, pi. xxv, fig. B; 



'Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 190; Fayrer, Thanatoph. pi. xx. 



Head short, snout declivous and rather pointed ; body mode- 

 rately elongate. Eostral as deep as broad ; nasals shorter than 

 the frontal, more than twice as long as the suture between the 

 praefrontals ; frontal longer than broad, nearly as long as its dis- 

 tance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; one 

 prae- and one postocular ; 5 upper labials, third and fourth entering 

 the eye ; a single large anterior temporal, descending to the labial 



