SNAKES. 51 



eyes, broad oblong bands across the back of the neck, and upper 

 part of the front of the body, yellow : scales with a narrow keel, oc- 

 cupying about half the length of the dorsal and a small central part 

 of the ventral scales; of the neck nearly smooth. 



a, 6. Inspirits. Adult and half grown. India, Bengal. Presented 

 by General Hardwicke. 

 Hydrophis Hardwickii, Gray, MSS. Brit. Mus. 1836. 



c. In spirits. Young. Indian Ocean. From Mr. Russell's collec- 

 tion ; named by Dr. Shaw. 



Hydrus fasciatus, Shaw, Zool. iii. 563. Schneid. Amph. 240. 

 Liopola fasciaia, Gray, Zool. Misc. 60. 



4. The Kerril. Hydrophis nigrocincta, Daud. Rept. vii. 580. 

 Gray, Ann. Phil. x. 207. Schlec/el, Phys. Serp. 505, t. 18, /. 5 — 7, 

 (89, 10 ?) Hydrus (Enhydris) nigrocinctus, Merrem, Tent. 140. 

 Auguis Xiphura, Herm. Obs. Zool. 1288. Kerril Pattee, Russell, 

 Ind. Serp. ii. t. 6. Leioselasma nigrocincta, Fitz. Isis, 1827, 738. 



Head rather small : above greenish in spirits, dusky ; beneath 

 yellow, with close, rather narrow, dark brown rings : head yellow ; 

 front of upper lip, crown, and band from the angle of the mouth 

 across the nape, brown : rostral plates broad and low : one anterior, 

 two posterior oculars : lower rostral plates triangular : the four front 

 lower lip plates large, the hinder pair much the largest, rest small : 

 chin shields two pairs : tail regularly and equally brown, and 

 yellow-banded : temple shielded, the central shield larger than 

 the others : scales with a very narrow, slight, elongate keel ; of the 

 lower part of the body with a stronger keel, forming a ridge oc- 

 cupying about half the length of the central line of the scales. 



a. In spirits. Bengal. Presented by General Hardwicke. 



ftf Scales rather elongate, largely keeled. 



5. The Black-headed Kerril. Hydrophis doliata, Gray., 

 Zool. Misc. 6. Disteria doliata, Lacep. Ann. Mus. iv. 199, t. 10, 

 t. b7,f.2? Gray, Ann. Phil. x. 1825, 207. Fitz. Cat. Gray, 

 App. King's Voy. ? Enhydris doliatus, Merrem, Tent. 140. 



Grayish white, back with darker bands ; head, throat and streak 

 on the front of belly black : scales with an elongated, regular, nar- 

 row keel, ending in a tubercle at the end, the keel and subterminal 

 tubercles being more distinct on the lower and hinder part of the 

 body ; of tail broad and smooth : lower lip with a marginal series of 

 triangular scales : the second and third upper labial shields nearly 

 equal : one large anterior and two small posterior oculars. 



F 2 



