Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 127 



Adult ? — Crown shields light chestnut ; lips and throat pale yellow ; 

 ground colour above pale greenish yellow, sides and abdomen buff with 

 numerous distant black transversal bands, becoming indistinct towards 

 the tail and on the sides, where the scales are partially edged or spotted 

 with black. The interstitial skin of the back and sides black, of the 

 abdomen buff. Iris dark grey with a buff orbital margin ; pupil black 

 minute ; tongue buff. 



Central abdominal series of larger scales, 347 + 41. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang and Malayan Peninsula. 



Sea of Liewkiew Islands, Timor, Sumatra, Bay of Bengal. 



The eyes are lateral, sunk, excessively small, of a diameter equalling 

 the large almost vertically opening nostrils. The single prae-orbital 

 shield is beneath wedged in between the second and third upper labial. 

 The latter, as well as the fourth and fifth, border the orbit beneath. Of 

 the two post-orbitals the lower is wedged in between the fifth upper 

 labial and the large shield resting upon the sixth upper labial. Above 

 the latter and the seventh, the cheeks are covered by three very large 

 shields. The seven upper labiate are large and very high. Of the 

 nine inferior labials the two anterior are the largest, and placed verti- 

 cally, the succeeding seven arc smaller and placed nearly horizontally, 

 so as to become partially hid when the jaws are closed. The chin is 

 covered by the first pair of labials and two pairs of elongated mentals, 

 between which and the inferior labials intervene on each side the second 

 labial, three very large shields, and three smaller. The neck is cover- 

 ed by 37, the anterior part of the trunk by 33, and the thickest by 40 

 longitudinal series of rhombic scales. In the individuals examined by 

 M. Schlegel, all of less length than my own, the series varied from 

 31, 29 to 27. The scales are rhombic with rounded apex, each scale 

 with a small central tubercle, or an elevated (keeled) line, which how- 

 ever with age becomes indistinct or obliterated. The central larger 



the period when the integuments are to be changed. Russell's description was copied 

 by Daudin, who merely supplied the denomination of Hydropkis cyanocinctus, (Hydrus 

 brugmansii, Boie,1827,) upon which Wngler founded his genus Enhydris, 1830. Accord- 

 ing to M. Schlegel, all these are Synonymes of Hydrus nigrocinctus (Daudin). The 

 only means of deciding the Synonymy of this and most of the other species appears to 

 he a close examination of such original specimens, described l>y Russell and Shaw, which 

 maj al present exist in the collection of the British Museum. 



