OPHIDIA. 73 



BuNGARUs,(l) Daud. partim. Pseudoboa, Oppel. 



Subventral and subcaudal plates, simple, as in Boa, Crotalus, 8cc.; 

 head, short, and covered with large plates; occiput but slightly en- 

 larged. Their most distinguishing character is a longitudinal range 

 of scales on the back, which is strongly carinate, broader than the 

 lateral ones, as in Dipsas. They are all from India, where they are 

 termed Rock Snakes. One species attains a length of seven or eight 

 feet. (2) 



Hydrus, Schn., partim. (3) Hydrophis and Pelamis, Daud. 



Posterior part of the body and tail strongly compressed, and much 

 raised vertically; a circumstance, which, by enabling them to swim, 

 renders them aquatic. They are very common in certain latitudes 

 of the Indian Ocean. On account of their (nearly all) small scales, 

 Linnaeus classed such of them as he knew with the Anguines. Daudin 

 has subdivided them as follows: 



Hydrophis. (4) 



A range of scales on the belly somewhat larger than the others, 

 as in Tortrix; head small, not inflated, obtuse, and furnished with 

 large plates. Several species have been found in the salt water ca- 

 nals of Bengal and others in the Indian Ocean.(5) 



Pelamis. 



Large plates on the head, but the occiput inflated on account of 

 the length of the pedicles of the lower jaw, which is extremely dila- 



(1) Bungarus, a barbarous term drawn from that of Bungarum-pamma, the 

 name by which the largest species is known in Bengal. 



(2) The Bongare a anneaux, Daud., V, Ixv, Boa fasciata, Schn., copied from 

 Russel, III. Add the Bong, bleu, Boa lineata, Sh. Russ., I. 



(3) Hydrus, the Greek name of an aquatic Serpent, perhaps of our common 

 Coluber; but the Hydrus marinus of iElian is precisely of this genus^ 



(4) Hydrophis, Water Serpent. 



(5) See the Hydrophis of Russel, Serp. Corom. pi. xliv, and part II, pi. vi x. 

 Add the ^. curtus, Sh., the H. spiralis. Id. pi. 125; the Leyoselasme and iheDis- 

 teyre, Lacep., An. Mus. IV, also belong to the subgenus Hydrophis; I even think 

 the latter is the Hydrus major, Sh. pi. 124. They also are Serpents of the Indian 

 Ocean, venomous and possessed of several maxillary teeth. 



N.B. I cannot agree with M. Fitzinger as to the harmlessness o{ the Pelamides 

 and the Disteyres; on the contrary, I have fully ascertained their poison gland and 

 fangs to be organized like those of a Hydra or a Bungarus. As to the Aispysure, 

 Lacep. An. Mus. IV, I have not been able to procure it. 

 Vol. II. K 



