92 AUSTEALIAN SNAKES. 



EM:"2'DOCBI'H:^IjTJS. Kreffi. 

 Emydocephalus, Krejl, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1869. 



Anterior half of the trunk rounded, posterior part compressed, 

 ventral plates well developed ; head shielded, gape of mouth short, three 

 upper and three lower labials, the middle one largest, covering nearly the 

 whole upper and lower lip ; (scales large and much imbricated, in 16 rows). 

 Occipitals not much larger than the superciliaries, very irregular, with 

 sometimes a plate between them, and much broader than long. Tail much 

 compressed, ending in a large flat scale with two or three denticulations, 

 and a strong keel on each side. 



Scales in 16 or 17 rows, hexagonal, much imbricated, and covered 

 with from 5 to 10 or more tubercles, ventral plates much tuberculated, in 

 particular those near the tail. 



Tortoise-headed Ringed Sea Snake. Emydocephalus mmulatus. 



Emydocephalus annulatus, Krefft, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1869. 



Scales in 16 or 17 rows. 



Abdominals, 144. 



One anal plate. 



Subcaudals, 36 (ending in a broad spine). 



Total length, 30 inches. 



Head, f inch. 



Tail, 4^ inches. 



Scales large and imbricated ; head small, about as long as broad, 

 covered with rounded plates, which are more or less raised in the middle, 

 and much tuberculated ; one or two elongate shields wedged in between 

 the superciliaries ; the number of upper and lower labials reduced to three, 

 a middle one of extraordinary size between two small scale-like shields ; 

 each scale and plate covered with many small tubercles, and the body 

 encircled by thirty-five black and as many white rings ; the white scales 

 upon the back and sides more or less black, and some of the black rings 

 white spotted. 



Habitat, probably the Australian Seas. Two specimens in the 

 Museum collection. 



