410 COLUBBIDJi;. 



prominent tubercles, one before tbe otber. Ventrals 321, small, 

 irregular; each ventral with several minute tubercles ou either 

 side. Body encircled by black bands, broadest and blackest on the 

 back ; ground-colour olive-yellow above, bright gamboge-yellow 

 below. 



Total length 4 feet. 



Hah. Tidal streams, Calcutta. Specimens from the Persian 

 Gulf and Karachi are referred to this species by Murray. This 

 snake is unknown to me, and the above is an abstx'act of Ander- 

 son's description. 



509. Distira cyanocincta. 



Russell, hid. Serp. ii, pi. ix. 



Ilydrophis cyauocinctus, Baud. iiVy>^ vii, p. .383 ; Giinih. Itept. B. 



I. p. 367 ; Fayrer, Thunatoph. pi. xxiii ; Peters, MB. Ah. Bed. 



1872, p. 852, pi. i, lif?. 2: Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 391; Boeftg. 



Ber. Offenh. Ver. LS88, p. .S9, and Zool. udnz. 1888, p. 396. 

 Leiijselasiiia .striata, Lacrp. Ann. Mus. iv, L":?04, pp. 198, 210, pi. hii, 



tig. 1. 



Ilydrophis striata, Schleg. Faun. Japan., liept. p. 89, pi. vii ; id. 



Fhys. Serj). ii, p. 502, pi. xviii, tigs. 4 & 5. 

 Hydrophis sublpevis, Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 62. 

 Hydropliis subanuulata, Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 54. 

 Hydrophis aspera. Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 55; Giinth. I. c. p. .865. 

 Hydrus striatus, Cantor, J. A. S. B. xvi, 1847, p. 1047. 

 Hydrophis striatus, part., Fum. S,- Bihr. Erp. Gen. p. 1347. 

 Hydrophis westermanui, Jan, Icon. Ophid. 39, pi. v, tig. 1. 

 Ilydrophis taprobanica, Hahj, Taprohanian, ii, 1887, p. 107. 



Head moderate ; body elongate. Eostral slightly broader than 

 deep ; nasals shorter than the frontal, twice, or rather more than 

 twice, as long as the suture between tbe pra^f rontals ; frontal much 

 longer than broad, as long as its distance from the end of the 

 snout or a little shorter, shorter tluin the parietals ; one pra^- and 

 two postoculars ; 7 or 8 upper labials, second largest, third and 

 fourth, or third, fourth, and fifth, entering the eye; two super- 

 posed anterior temporals: two pairs of subequal chin-shields, in 

 contact on the middle line, or posterior pair separated by one 

 scale. 27 to 33 scales round the neck, 39 to 43 round the midcUe 

 of the body ; scales rhomboidal and subimbricate, with a short ke(^l, 

 whieli is very strong and brol-cen up into two or three tubercles in 

 adult males. Ventrals distinct througliout, sujooth or with two or 

 more tubercles, 300-426. Greenish olive above, with black cross 

 bars or annuli, broadest on the back, and sometimes joined by a 

 black band running along the belly. 



Total lengtli 6 feet. 



Hah. Persian Gulf and coasts of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, and China and Japan. One of the commonest species in 

 India. 



