754 JOURNAL, BOMBAY yATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, J'ol. XX1\ 



* 



This snake which is the only one I have seen, measures about 2i feet in 

 length. It was taken on a plantain tree at Nagpur in October and is at 

 present alive in the Vivaria of the Nagpur Museum. I propose calling it 

 Z. mucosus war imllidus, as I see no diflerence in lepidosis between it and 

 Z. mucosus. 



Cextkal Museum, 

 Nagpur, (Mh December 1917. 



E. A. D'ABEEU, r.z.s. 



No. XVI.— NOTES ON A GRAVID HYDROPHIS CYANOCINVTUS 



AND HER BROOD. 



( With a diarjrmn.) 



In my monograph of the Seasnakes" under the species HydropMs [Distira) 

 spirates (Shaw), and H. ci/unocinctus (Daudin) I questioned the validity of 

 several species described by various authors. I pointed out that many of 

 these were merely separated from the two species above cited on char- 

 acters affecting the postoculars, temporals, and supralabials, all shield 

 subject to great variation tt\ individuals of the same species. This varia- 

 tion is such that these shields are in my opinion not even an aid in the 

 separation of species, and certainly too insecure as the basis for describing 

 species. 



This was merely an opinion, and one that is open to anyone to contest. 

 It is obvious that anyone might contend that the individuals upun which 

 I based my opinions were not of the same species. This being so the most 

 convincing means of establishing the truth of my contention is to sub- 

 ject a gravid female and her unborn brood to critical examination. There 

 can be no doubt in such a case that the specimens are of one species. 



It is not often such a specimen comes into my hands, but one such I 

 reported upon in this Journal (Vol. XX, p. ^^)S) the subject being a spiralis 

 (Shaw). 



I have now obtained through Dr. Malcolm Smith from Siam a gravid 

 cyanocinctus (Daudin), and the information derived from an analysis of the 

 lepidosis of dani and brood forms the subjects of this note. I append out- 

 line drawings of the head of the mother, and two of the brood, (Nos. 2 and 

 7 of the synopsis). I also give a synopsis of the salient features concern- 

 ing these, and some other specimens to be referred to later. 



It will he observed from the figures that in the dam there was but one 

 prieocular on both sides. In No. 2 there are two ou the right side only, 

 and in No. 4 two on both sides. This shield is confluent with the supra- 

 ocular in No. 3. 



In the dam there is one postocular on both sides, but in Nos. 2, 4, G and 

 7 there are two on one or both sides. 



In the dam there is one small anterior and one larger posterior temporal, 

 but in Nos. 6 and 7 there are two posterior temporals on both sides. 



In the dam the iirst four labials are large, the rest small, but in No. 2 

 the 3rd right labial is divided to form a lower postocular, and the 4th right, 

 and 5th left are also divided. 



With the gravid female I received six foetuses tliat had been removed 

 from their sacs, and two sacs in which the embryos lay coiled. Also four 

 adults, one young specimen and the head of an adult, all without any 

 doubt examples of the same species. All of these are included on the 

 synopsis, and figures are given t»f three of them. 



* ^lemoirs Asiatic Society of Benpal, 190!). 



