368 OPHIDIA. 



vertical stripes on the side ; there are sixty of these black rings ; they are more or less con- 

 fluent on the belly, and separated by narrow blackish-green interspaces on the back. Head 

 nearly uniform blackish. 



I have examined only one example, which is in the collection of the Eoyal College of 

 Surgeons. It is a female with six eggs in the oviduct, and 49 inches long. Nothing is 

 known about its habitat. We have given three views of the head, and one of a portion of 

 the body, all of the natural size. 



Hydkophis SUBCIAXTA. (Plate XXV. fig. F.) 



Hydrophis subcinctus. Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 63. 



Head rather small and narrow, its length being not quite twice its width ; neck slender, 

 not quite one-fourth of the total length ; body rather elongate. Eostral shield broader than 

 high ; only the fourth upper labial forms the lower part of the orbit ; two postoculars ; two 

 large temporal shields on the side of each occipital. Two pairs of chin-shields, which are in 

 contact with one another. Twenty-three series of scales round the neck. Scales imbricate, 

 rhombic, keeled, as high as long ; ventrals distinct, but not twice as large as the scales of 

 the adjoining series; the posterior are longitudinally divided into two; they are 342 in 

 number, and each has a pair of small tubercles ; four anal shields of moderate size. Terminal 

 scale of the tail small. Trunk with forty-one broad dark cross bands, about as broad as the 

 interspaces, not extending downwards to the middle of the side ; a series of small, roundish, 

 blackish spots along the lower part of the sides. 



The typical specimen is the only one I have seen of this species ; it is said to be from the 

 Indian Ocean, and is very much bleached ; its length is 46 inches, the cleft of the mouth 

 measuring ^ inch, the tail 4 inches. 



Hydkophis nigrocincta. (Plate XXV. fig. L.) 



Russell, Ind. Serp. ii. tab. 6. 



Hydrophis nigrocinctuSj Daud. Hist. Rept. \u. p. 380. 



Enliydris nigrocinctus, Merr. Tent. p. 1 10. 



Head small ; neck slender, its length being about one-fourth of the total ; body moderately 

 elongate. Rostral shield rather broader than long ; only the foui'th upper labial forms the 

 lower part of the orbit ; two postoculars ; three temporal shields on the side of each occipital. 

 Two pairs of chin-shields, the anterior of which are in contact with each other. Twenty- 

 seven to twenty-nine series of scales round the neck. Scales imbricate, rhombic, keeled, 

 those on the highest part of the body as broad as long. Ventrals distinct, not quite twice as 

 broad as the scales of the adjoining series, smooth, 320-331 in number. Four large anal 

 shields. The tail terminates in a large scale. The trunk is encircled by 43-(53-)61 complete 



