Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 125 



probably aggravated by the tight ligature, which was removed at the 

 close of half an hour, and the dog let free. In a short time it had 

 regained the free use of the limb and was apparently well. But on the 

 third day following a perfectly circular slough, including the bitten 

 spot of about f of an inch in diameter, was thrown off, the sore readily 

 healed up and the dog suffered no further inconvenience. 



PELAGIC. 

 FAM. HYDRID/E, Bonaparte. 

 Gen. Laticauda, Laurenti. 

 Tail compressed, with two surfaces, gradually increasing in height, 

 and with three furrows (sutures) on each side. 



Laticauda scutata, Laurenti. 



Syn. — Coluber laticaiulatus, Liune. Mus. A. Fig. 1/54. 

 Laticauda imbricata, Laurenti? 1/tiS. 

 Le serpent large-queue, Daubenton, 1/84. 

 Coluber laticaiulatus, apud Thunberg, 17^7- 

 Coluber laticaiulatus, apud Ginelin, ami E. W. Gray, 17^!'. 

 La queue plate, Lacepede, 1801. 

 Hydrus colubrinus, Schneider, 1801. 

 Platurus fasciatus, Latreille, 1802. 

 Hydrus colubrinus, apud Shaw, 1802. 

 Platurus fasciatus, Daudin, 1S(),'5. 

 Aipysurus lsevis, Lacepede, 1804, (Var?) 

 Platurus semifasciatus, Reinwardt, M. S. 

 Platurus fasciatus, apud Wagler, 1S.' ; i>. 



Hydrophis colubrina, Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Tab. 10. 

 Hydrophis colubriaa, Schlegel, 18.'J7. 



Neiv born. — Ground colour gamboge, greenish above, with numerous 

 distant broad rings of a blue reflecting black colour, encircling the 

 body ; the first and second black mark of the head and neck are beneath 

 joined by a short longitudinal line, commencing on the lower labial 

 shields ; another shorter black line borders above the gamboge upper 

 labials ; the scales between the rings, the scuta and scutella with black- 

 ish margins. 



Older.- — Of paler colours, lead-grey on the back ; the rings impure 

 light blue on the sides and abdomen. The scales and scuta without 

 blackish margins. Iris black, pupil circular ; tongue grey. 



Scuta 227 to 246 ; Scutella 32 to 41. 

 Habit. — Sea of the Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 



Bay of Bengal (Ramree, Pondicherry, Nicobars), Sea of 

 Timor, Molucca and Liewkicw Islands, Celebes, New 

 Guinea, Tongataboo, Chiua Sea. 



