Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 105 



pairs are much smaller than the rest, which suddenly become very 

 large and deep, so as to make the margin of the lip very bulging in a 

 downward direction. The lower ten or eleven labials are smaller than 

 the upper, except the sixth, which is the largest. The chin with two 

 pairs of shields of which the anterior is very elongated ; the throat 

 with numerous minute scales. The mouth is small, the dentition 

 resembles that of Homalopsis leucobalia, Far. The trunk would be 

 orbicular, but for the narrow flattened abdomen, the scuta of which 

 are angulated, forming on each side a sharp ridge. The scales are very 

 small, smooth, on the neck disposed in 33, successively in 37, but 

 near the root of the tail in 29 longitudinal series. Those of the back are 

 rhomboidal with rounded points ; those of the sides lanceolate with the 

 point bent inwards, so as to appear truncated, each scale leaving a 

 small scpiare interval, in which appears the naked skin. The tail is 

 short, much compressed, tapering and slightly prehensile. In the 

 male the sides are very high, and the lower surface very broad, as 

 noted under //. leucobalia, Far. On the broadest part there are as 

 many as 21 longitudinal series of scales. In the female this organ is 

 shorter, the sides less high, and the abdomen less broad. 



Of three individuals observed, two were captured in fishing stakes 

 placed in the sea off the shores of Keddah, a third was washed on 

 shore by the waves on the coast adjoining my house at Pinang. The 

 largest male was of the following dimensions : 



Length of the head, ft. 0| inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 1 P 



Ditto ditto tail, 2| 



1 ft, "f inch. 



( 'ireumfercnce of the neck, £, of the trunk, If, of the root of the tail, 

 i, of the middle of the tail, 1 ; two eighths from the apex, i inch. 



It moved actively and without difficulty on the sand, and did not 

 offer to bite. In one examined the stomach contained remains of two 

 small pelagic fishes. In general appearance and colours the present 

 is more closely allied to the pelagic serpents than any other known 

 species. Whether it exclusively inhabits the sea, or, like Homalopsis 

 rhinchops, enhydrus, and leucobalia, as an occasional visitor, must be 

 a matter of future investigation. 



