SNAKES. 53 



nearly smooth ; of the hinder part of the back rather concave, with 

 a central ridge which looks like a keel : ventral shield broad, six- 

 sided, smooth, sometimes divided into two or marked with a slight 

 central groove ; occipital shields large, triangular, produced behind 

 with a small central shield behind them, and a series of four large 

 temporal shields on their outer side; chin shields two pairs: eyes 

 very small, over the narrow fourth and fifth labial shields: temporal 

 shield large; nasal shield small; frontal smaller: one anterior and 

 two posterior ocular shields ; the second upper labial shield elon- 

 gated. 



a. Inspirits. Adult; nearly bleached. Indian Ocean. 

 h. Inspirits. Adult. Black-banded. China. Presented by J. K. 

 Reeve, Esq. 



c. Inspirits. Half grown. Black-ringed. ? Presented 



by the College of Surgeons. 



d. In fluid. Adult. Black-ringed. Eye over the oblique third 



and fourth shield. Madras. Presented by J. C. Jerdon, Esq. 

 €. In fluid. Aged. Black-ringed. Plate under eye divided ob- 

 liquely into two. Ceylon. Presented by R. Templeton, Esq. 



Var. 1 . Melanocephala. Throat black ; head pale dotted ; back 

 of neck black, cross-banded ; body with black rings. 



/. In fluid. Adult. Indian Ocean. Presented by Capt. Sir Ed- 

 ward Belcher, K.C.B., R.N. 



g. In fluid. Young. Madras. Presented by J. C. Jerdon, Esq. 

 Polyodontes annulatus. Lesson, Belanger, Voy. Rept. t. 4. 



8. The Pale Chittul. Hydrophis mentalis. Gray, Zool. 

 Misc. 62. 



Pale whitish in spirits, with indistinct, broad, dark cross-bands 

 on the back: head rather large, very short, broad, blunt: eye small, 

 over fourth and hinder angle of third labial shield : scales rather 

 broad, with a narrow keel reaching more than half the length : lower 

 lip with a series of veiy shallow oblong scales ; the second and 

 third lower labial elongate, reaching the margins of the broad shield 

 below them : the lower rostral plate slender, trigonal: chin shields 

 moderate : one anterior and two posterior oculars. 



a. In spirits. Indian Ocean. Old collection. 



9. The Eyed Chittul. Hydrophis ocellata. 



Pale in spirits : back with an alternate series of large, oblong, 

 transverse, pale-centred, and of smaller round dark spots : sides with 

 three series of round spots, those of the upper series largest : tail 

 with a series of oblong transverse spots on the upper and lower edge : 

 head large, blunt, olive ; scales rather small, in many series broad, 



F 3 



