394 



COLUBEIDjE. 



b. Mental shield narrow, elongate, partly con- 

 cealed in a deep groove in the lower jaw; 

 maxillary a little longer than transpalatine, 



with 4 soHd teeth Enhydrina, p. 405 



B. Poison-fangs followed by 4 to 10 solid maxil- 

 lary teeth, which are grooved anteriorly .... Distira, p. 407. 



TTlx 



B. 



Fig. 116. — Views of right maxillo-palatal arch. 



A. Platurus. B. Enhydris. C. Hydrus. 



m. Maxillary, pi. Palatine, pt. Pterygoid, tp. Transpalatine, 



Genus PLATURUS, 

 Daudin, Hist. Rept. vii, p. 22.3, 1803. 



Maxillary very short, with a pair of large grooved fangs followed 

 by a single very small solid tootli. Head-shields normal ; nasals 



Fig. 117. — Head oi Platurus laticaudatus, 



lateral. Scales smooth and imbricate. Ventrals and subcaudals 

 large. 



Distribution. Eastern parts of the Indian Ocean and West Pacific. 



This genus approaches tlie Elapince (Bunr/arus and C'allopliis) 

 in the shape of the skull, the scaling of the head and body, and 



