282 OPHIDIA. 



" Numbers of this species may be seen in rivers, as well as in irrigated fields and estuaries, preying upon 

 fishes, which, however, it refuses in a state of captivity. It is of timid and peaceful habits. A large female, 

 after having been confined upwards of six months in a glass vessel filled with water, brought forth eleven 

 young ones. During the process she lay motionless at the bottom of the vessel ; the anterior part of the 

 abdomen was retracted towards the vertebral column, while the muscles of the posterior part were in 

 activity. Shortly after the parturition she expired, under a few spasmodic movements ; and also two of the 

 young ones died in the course of about two hoiu's, after having, like the rest, shed the integuments. In 

 length they varied from 6 inches to 6f . The living nine presented a most singular appearance : they 

 remained a little way below the surface of the water, coiling themselves round the body of an adult male 

 which was also kept in the vessel, occasionally lifting their heads above the siu'face to breathe, at the same 

 time resisting the efforts of the senior to free himself. Fishes and aquatic insects were refused, in conse- 

 quence of which the young ones expired from inanition in the course of less tlxan two months." 



We have figured the heads of two specimens, each in three views, to show the great 

 differences of form. One (fig. K) is taken from the typical specimen of Hypsirhina Mlineata, 

 Gray, from China; the other (fig. K') from a specimen collected by Griffith, probably in 

 Khasya. 



Hypsirhina jagoeii. 



Hypsirhina jagorii, Peters, in Monatsber. Berl. Acad. 1863, p. 245. 



Head narrow, elongate, depressed, rather distinct from neck, which is thin but short; 

 trunk short, thick ; tail somewhat compressed at its root. Eye small, prominent, with per- 

 fectly round pupil. Scales polished, short, rounded, mthout apical groove, in twenty-one 

 row^s, those of the outer series twice as large as the dorsal scales. Anterior frontal much 

 broader than long, in contact with the loreal ; posterior frontals small. Vertical five-sided, 

 not quite twice as long as broad, pointed behind ; occipitals small, rounded, not much longer 

 than vertical. Loreal subpentagonal ; one prseocular, extending on to the upper surface of 

 the head ; two postoculars. Eight upper labials, the fourth below the eye ; temporals scale- 

 like, 1 -|- 2 + 3. Two pairs of chin-shields, the anterior of which are the largest, the posterior 

 being separated from each other by two longitudinal series of scales. Ventrals 128; sub- 

 caudals 66 {Peters). Each maxillary is armed with a series of seven longish, closely-set 

 teeth, at some distance behind which there is a somewhat stronger and grooved tooth. 

 Brownish grey above, many isolated scales black ; the third outer series of scales and the 

 adjoining halves of the second and fourth yellowish white ; the outermost series and the 

 adjoining parts of the second and of the ventral shields blackish ; many scales of the outer- 

 most series and the middle of the ventrals white. 



A single specimen was sent by M. Mouhot from Siam; it is 12^ inches long, without the 

 tail, which is injured. 



Although our specimen differs in the coloration from that described by Peters, I have no 

 doubt that both belong to the same species. The latter is said to have broad, bluish-black 



