SNAKES. 77 



hinder one entire, with a plate above it : eyes small, over the third 

 labial : body compressed ; abdominal plates narrow, rounded ; tail 

 short ; subcaudal plates two-rowed ; lower labial small. 



Fordonia, Gray, Zool. Misc. 67, 1842. Hydropsis, Fitz. S. 

 R. 25, 1843, no char. Homalopsis sp., Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 



I. The Fordonia. Fordonia leucobalia. Gray, Zool. Misc. 67. 

 Homalopsis leucobalia, Schlegel, 345, t. 18, /. 8, 9. Muller, Verh. 

 Rept. t. 8. Hydropsis leucobalia, Fitz. S. R. 25. 



Scales in 25 series, smooth, rhombic : blue-black, polished, 

 with many irregular series of angular white spots ; belly white. 



Inhab. Timor. 



2. The Plain Fordonia. Fordonia unicolor. 

 Olive-brown, polished, nearly unifonn : scales minutely brown 

 punctured ; ventral shields with a rather paler hinder edge. 



a. In spirits. Borneo ? Presented by Capt. Sir Edward Belcher, 



K.C.B., R.N. 

 h. In spirits. Borneo. From Mr. Lowe's collection. 



31. Gerarda. 



Head moderate, rather depressed ; rostral four-sided ; frontal 

 plates 3 ; anterior narrow, high between the nasals, dilated above ; 

 posterior moderate, close ; superciliary small ; vertebral moderate ; 

 occipital large, elongated behind ; three anterior labial narrow, 

 high ; hinder broader ; last largest, entire : eyes over the fourth 

 plate ; loreal plate, square : body subcylindrical : scales smooth, 

 broad, rhombic ; subcaudal plates rather broad, evenly rounded : 

 tail conical ; subcaudal plates two-rowed. 



1. The Gerard. Gerarda bicolor. 



Lead-coloured, white varied : lips (except rostral plate), chin, 

 lateral streak 2i scales wide, white ; under part pale : scales 

 rhombic, in 16 or 17 series : one small anterior and two small pos- 

 terior oculars. 



a. In spirits. West Indies. From Mr. Luna's collection. 



32. HiPisTEs. 



Head ovate, distinct, rather depressed; rostral shield six-sided, 

 rounded ; frontal plates 3 ; anterior narrow, erect, between the 

 nasals ; posterior, superciliary and other head shields small ; loreal 

 square : oculars 2, anterior and lower posterior rather large, verging 



H 3 



