410 COLUBRID-E. 



prominent tubercles, one before the other. Ventral a 321, small, 

 irregular; each ventral with several minute tubercles on either 

 side. Body encircled by black bauds, broadest and blackest on the 

 back; ground-colour olive-yellow above, bright gamboge-yellow 

 below. 



Total length 4 feet. 



Hob. Tidal streams, Calcutta. Specimens from the Persian 

 Gulf and Karachi are referred to this species by Murray. This 

 snake is unknown to nie, and the above is an abstract of Ander- 

 son's description. 



509. Distira cyanocincta. 



Russell, Ind. Serp. ii, pi. ix. 



Hydrophis cyanocinctus, Daud. Kept, vii, p. 383 ; Giintli. Rept. B. 



I. p. 367 ; Fayrer, Thanatoph. pi. xxiii ; Peters, MB. Ak. Berl. 



1872, p. 852, pi. i, tig. 2: Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 391; Boettg. 



Ber. Offenb. Ver. 1888, p. 89, and Zool. Anz. 1888, p. 396. 

 Leioselasma striata, Lacep. Ann. Mus. iv, 1804, pp. 198, 210, pi. Ivii, 



tig. 1. 

 Hydrophis striata, Schleg. Faun. Japon., Rept. p. 89, pi. vii; id. 



Phys. Serp. ii, p. 502, pi. xviii, tigs. 4 & 5. 

 Hydrophis sublsevis, Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 62. 

 Hydrophis subannulata, Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 54. 

 Hydrophis aspera, Gray, Cut. Sn. p. 55 ; Gilnth. 1. c. p. 365. 

 Hydras striatus, Cantor, J. A. S. B. xvi, 1847, p. 1047. 

 Hydrophis striatus, part., Dum. fy Bibr. Erp. Gen. p. 1347. 

 Hydrophis westermanni, Jan, Icon. Ophid. 39, pi. v, fig. 1. 

 Hydrophis taprobanica, Haly, Taprobanian, ii, 1887, p. 107. 



Head moderate ; body elongate. Eostral slightly broader than 

 deep ; nasals shorter than the frontal, twice, or rather more than 

 twice, as long as the suture between the prsefroutals ; frontal much 

 longer than broad, as long as its distance from the end of the 

 snout or a little shorter, shorter than the parietals ; one prse- and 

 two postoculars ; 7 or 8 upper labials, second largest, third and 

 fourth, or third, fourth, and fifth, entering the eye; two super- 

 posed anterior temporals ; two pairs of subequal chin-shields, in 

 contact on the middle line, or posterior pair separated by one 

 scale. 27 to 33 scales round the neck, 39 to 43 round the middle 

 of the body ; scales rhomboidal and subimbricate, with a short keel, 

 which is very strong and broken up into two or three tubercles in 

 adult males. Ventrals distinct throughout, smooth or with two or 

 more tubercles, 300-426. Greenish olive above, with black cross 

 bars or annuli, broadest on the back, and sometimes joined by a 

 black band running along the belly. 



Total length 6 feet. 



Hob. Persian Gulf and coasts of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, and China and Japan. One of the commonest species in 

 India. 



