Cheeseman. — Marine Eeptilia in N.Z. Waters. 269 



Raglan and Woody Head, and was forwarded to the Museum 

 for identification. It was in much too advanced a stage of 

 decomposition to be worth preserving. 



4. In 1895 a living specimen was stranded just inside Cape 

 Brett, at the Bay of Islands. It came into the possession of 

 Mr. J. H. Greenway, of Russell, who presented it to the Museum. 



5. In the summer of 1898 another specimen came ashore 

 alive at Whangarei Heads. The finder gave it to Mr. C. Cooper, 

 of Auckland, who kindly forwarded it to the Museum. 



6. In 1903 a living specimen was picked up at Matata, in 

 the Bay of Plenty, and was promptly forwarded to the Museum 

 by Mr. H. L. Burt. 



7. In 1905 Mr. E. V. Smith presented a specimen which 

 was found stranded on the west coast, opposite to Dargaville. 



8. 9. In addition to the above, the British Museum possesses 

 two half-grown specimens from New Zealand, apparently 

 without any precise locality or date of capture. (See " British 

 Museum Catalogue of Snakes," vol. 3, p. 268.) 



From the above list it is quite evident that this species is 

 of comparatively common occurrence on the coast of the 

 northern portion of the North Island of New Zealand. It 

 would be interesting to ascertain where the individuals breed 

 that visit New Zealand — that is, if the species is not really a 

 permanent resident. According to Semper (quoted in the 

 " Cambridge Natural History," vol. 8, p. 637), the gravid 

 female visits the shores of low islands, there to give birth to 

 its young between the rocks, and she remains with her offspring 

 for some time. 



IV. Ringed Sea-snake (Platurus colubrinus). 



1. In the summer of 1889 an individual of this species came 

 ashore alive near the East Cape. It was forwarded to the 

 office of the Evening Star, Auckland, and was very kindly 

 presented to the Museum by the proprietor, Mr. H. Brett. 



2. The above is the only specimen that has come under my 

 own notice, but in the British Museum " Catalogue of Snakes " 

 (vol. iii, p. 309) there is a reference to a specimen from New 

 Zealand, presented by Sir George Grey. 



