Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 61 



occurrence in the sea of the Malayan coasts, although, according to 

 Raffles, it is rarely seen on the coasts of Sumatra. At Pinang they 

 are found among the fishes, taken in the stakes some 3 or 4 miles 

 distant from the coast. M. Schlegel is mistaken in stating that this 

 species never inhabits the sea,* and in censuring M. Eschscholtz for 

 his slating that the fishermen often take it in the Bay of Manilla. A 

 female of the following dimensions had six eggs :• — 



Length of the head, feet Of inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 2 7f 



Ditto ditto tail, 3f 



2 ft. Ill inch. 



8 



Greatest circumference, 4 inches. 



The egg is cylindrical, soft, coriaceous, whitish, about 1 \ inch in 

 length. In each egg was coiled up a living young one of the following 

 dimensions : 



Length of the head, Of inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, «) 



Ditto ditto tail, \\ 



10]- inch. 

 Greatest circumference, 1 inch. In food and general habits this 

 species resembles the pelagic, venomous, serpents ; in its element, it is 

 active, but on dry, blinded by the daylight, it is sluggish and of uncer- 

 tain movements. 



FAM. COLUBRIDE, Bonaparte. 



TERRESTRIAL. 



Gen. Calamaria, //. Boie. 



Body diminutive, elongated, obtuse at both extremities, throughout 



of equal diameter, cylindrical ; eyes very small with round pupil ; 



frontals one pair, laterally extending to the labials ; frenals none ; 



nostrils lateral, opening in a small shield between the frontal, rostral 



and anterior labial ; one prfe-orbital, one post-orbital, four mental shields ; 



dorsal scales rhombic, polished, smooth ; tail very short. 



Calamaria lumbricoidea, Schlegel, Yak. 



Syn. — Calamaria lumbricoidea, Boie, MS. 



Calamaria virgulata, Boie, MS. (Young.) 

 * Essai ,&c. p. 492. 



