Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 135 



Hydrus bicolor, Schneider. 



Syn— Seba, II, Tab. 77, Fig. 1. 



Angvis platura,* Linne, 1766. 



Vosmaer: Monogr. Fig. 1. 1774. 



Angvis platuros, apud Gmelin, 1788. 



Russell, I, PI. 41. Naila Wahlagillee Pam. 1799. 



Lacepede V, Tab. 15, Fig. 2, 1801. 



Hydrus bicolor, Schneider, 1801. 



Hydrophis platurus, Latreille, 1802. 



Hydrus bicolor, apud Shaw, 1802. 



Pelamis bicolor, Daudin 1803. 



Pelamys (Angvis platura, Lin.) Wagler, 18.30. 



Pelamis bicolor, apud Horsfield, Life of Raffles, 1830. 



Pelamis bicolor, apud Oken, 1836. 



Hydrophis pelamis, Schlegel, 1837. 



Hydrophis pelamis, Temminckand Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, page 60. 



Head and back black (inky), forming a straight line on the sides 

 till towards the posterior part, where it becomes largely undulating, so 

 as to appear as broad bands ; lips, throat and sides sulphur coloured, 

 turning into yellowish white or buff on the abdomenf and tail ; poste- 

 rior parts of the sides with some more or less distinct rounded black 

 spots ; tail largely banded or spotted with black. Iris pale yellow 

 with a broad black orbital margin ; pnpil black ; tongue buff. 



Habit. — Sea of Malayan Peninsula. 



Bay of Bengal, Malabar, Sea of Sumatra, Java, Celebes, 



Molucca Islands, China Sea (to 27° N. Lat.) Otaheite, 



Bay of Port Jackson (33° 55' S. Lat.— 151° 25' E. Long.) 



The head is very elongated, depressed, viewed from above, it presents 



a striking resemblance to Herpetodryas oxycephalies (lleinwardt). 



The eye is larger than in any other species of Hydrus, surrounded by 



two, three, or even four post-orbitals, one large prrc-orbital, and beneath, 



by the fourth upper labial shield. A frenal shield has been observed 



in some individuals, but it was absent in that examined in the straits 



of Malacca, nor does it exist in the specimens, in the Museum of the 



Asiatic Society. The neck is covered by 44, the thickest part of the 



trunk by 52 longitudinal series of small scales. Those of the upper 



parts are smooth, hexagonal ; those of the sides approach the orbicular 



form, and have in the centre one, two or three longitudinally placed 



* In consequence of the specific name of Linne having' been applied by Latreille to a 

 genus (Flaturus), that of Schneider, the next different in succession, hasbeen substituted. 



t In the individual figured by Russell, the bright yellow colour formed a narrow 

 lateral line, below which tiie sides and abdomen were of a dusky greenish yellow. 



