FORMOSAN BATRACHIANS AND REPTILES. 223 



15. Emydocephalus''^ ijimœ, sp. nov. 



Diagnosis. — Scales smooth, in 15 to 17 rows round the neck, 

 17 round the middle of the body; median dorsal scale row twice 

 as broad as those adjacent; nasals large, broadly in contact on 

 top of snout; no loreal; one preocular; one supraocular; two 

 postoculars; 2 + 2 or 2 + 3 temporals; four prefrontals, outer two 

 small; 138 to 142 ventrals; anal divided; 23 to 28 undivided 

 subcaudals. Dark brown with yellow cross bands. 



Type. — A young specimen collected by Mr. Tashiro in the 

 Eiu-Kiu Sea, in 1888. 



Habitat. — Seas around Formosa and the Eiu-Kiu Archi- 

 pelago. 



I take great satisfaction in dedicating this fine addition to 

 the Japanese Fauna to my friend Dr. I. Ijima. It belongs to 

 a rare and most interesting genus hitherto represented by only 

 two specimens from Australia. 



A medium-sized sj^ecimen (No. 1) is in the present collec- 

 tion from Botel Tobago Island, May 1897. It measures: Total 

 length, (jIo mm.; snout to vent, 520 înm.; vent to end of tail, 

 93 mm. 



The specimen was caught on the rocks at ebb-tide. 



16. Hydrus platurus (Linn.). 



Like all the other specimens from Japanese waters which 

 I have examined, the one in the present collection (No. 8), from 

 Kilung, belongs to the regular bicolored type. 



* Emydocephalm, Krefll, is a very distinct genus widely differing from Aipysurus, of which 

 it has been made a synonym by Boulenger. It is characterized by having the maxiUary bone 

 much shorter than the transpalatine ; no teeth on maxillary behind fang ; supralabials and 

 infralabials, except the fii-st and last one on each side, fused into a large contijiuous plate. 



