AUSTKALIAN SXAKES. 97 



bands, rounded laterally, extending downwards to tlie middle of the sides, 

 and rather broader than the interspaces of the ground-color ; belly with 

 a black longitudinal band. Head entirely black, separated from the first 

 cross band by a narrow white ring. The young specimen has a transverse 

 series of small black spots in the middle of each interspace between the 

 black cross bands ; and an irregular series of small round black spots runs 

 alono- each side of the belly. 



Habitat, coast of New South "Wales and Queensland. 



Eted Sea Snake. Eydrophis ocellata. 



(Plate XII, figs. 15, 15a.) 

 Hydrophis ocellata, Gray, Viper. Snakes, p. 53, and Gunther, Rept. Brit. India, p. 378, 

 pi. XXV! figs. P, P. 



Scales in 35 to 41 rows. 



Abdominals, 296 to 334. 



Total length, 44 inches. 



Head (cleft of mouth), | inch. 



Tail, 5 inches. 

 Head rather short and broad ; anterior and posterior parts of the 

 body moderately stout ; two pairs of chin shields, the anterior of which 

 are in contact with each other ; two postoculars, thirty-five to forty-one 

 series of scales round the neck ; ventral shields distinct, but not twice as 

 broad as the scales of the adjoining series, 296-334 in number ; six 

 prajanal shields, the outer of which are the largest ; scales of the young 

 smooth — of the adult with a short tubercular keel ; back with from thirty- 

 two to thu'ty-four blackish cross bands, the anterior of which are quad- 

 rangular, and separated by straight, very narrow, transverse, whitish lines ; 

 the middle and posterior are rounded elliptical, each with lighter centre ; 

 a smaller, transverse, blackish spot behind each large elliptical cross band ; 

 a series of ovate blackish ocelli, each with lighter centre, runs along the 

 side of the back, the ocelli being alternate with the dorsal bands ; two 

 other series of small, round, alternate spots along the lower side ; belly 

 with numerous blackish dots ; head uniformly brownish olive ; tail with 

 two rows of blackish cross bars, the one ascending from the lower side, 

 the other descending from the upper ; the bars of both sides alternate 

 with each other. 



Habitat, the Australian Seas. 



R 



