428 BTTLT.ETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



in the present connection. The essential points may be gathered 

 from the ''key" (p. 420). , 



Habitat. — The slender sea snake has a wide distribution from the 

 (lulf of Omar, between Arabia and Persia, to the Malay Archipelago 

 and the South China Sea. 



It has been recorded as far north as the island of Hainan and 

 Macao, but not yet from Japanese waters. It is included here^liow- 

 ever, to hel]) identification in case its range extends that far. 



DISTEIRA CYANOCINCTA" (Daudin). 



1803. Hydrophis cyanocirictus Dauuin, Hist. Nat. Kept., VII, p. 383 (type-local- 



ity, Bengal; based on Russell's Ind. Serp., II, pi. ix). — Boettger, Offen- 

 bach. Ver. Naturk. 26-28 Ber., 1888, p. 88 (Hainan). — Hydrophis cyano- 

 dncta HiLGENDORFF, Mittli. Deutsch. Ges. Ost-Asiens, I, heft 10, July, 

 1876, p. 31. — Distira q/anocinda Boulenger, Fauna Brit. India, Kept., 

 1890, p. 410; Cat. Sn. Brit. Mus., Ill, 1896, p. 294 (Persian Gulf to Japan; 

 Formosa). — West, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1895, p. 823, pi. lxvi, figs. 1, 

 8, 17 (poison gland; maxilla). — Wall, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1903, pp. 

 96, 101 (Hongkong). 



1804. Leioselasma striata Lacepede, Ann. Mus. d'Hist. Nat., Paris, IV, p. 210, pi. 



LVii, fig. 1 (type-locality, "Nouvelle Hollande"j. — Hydrophis striata 



ScHLEGEL, Phys. Serp., II, 1837, p. 502, pi. xviii, figs. 4-5 (Japan Seas); 



Fauna Japon., Rept., 1837, p. 89 (part), Oph. et Saur., pi. vii (Japan 



Seas). — Okada, Cat. Vert. Japan, 1891, p. 69 (Okinawa Sea). 

 1817. Hydrophis chittal Rafinesque, Amer. Month. Mag., I, p. 432 (India; liased 



on Russell). 

 1849. Hydrophis subannulata Gray, Cat. Sn. Brit. Mus., p. 54 (type-locality, 



India). 

 1849. Hydrophis aspera Gray, Cat. Sn. Brit. Mus., p. 55 (type-locality, Singapore; 



type in Brit. Mus.). 

 1859. Hydrophis westermani Jan, Rev. Mag. Zool., 1859, p. — ; author's separate, 



p. 26, pi. e (type- locality, Indian Ocean; type in Mus. Milano). 

 1863. Hydrophis u'estermanni Jan, Elenco Sist. Ofid., p. Ill (emendation); Icon. 



Ophid., livr. 39, 1872, pi. v, fig. 1 (type). 



1870. Hydrophis trachyceps Theobald, Cat. Rept. (p. 70). 



1871. Hydrophis crassicollis Anderson, Journ. Asiat. Hoc. Uengal, XL, 1871, 



(p. 19). 

 1887. Hydrophis taprobanica Haly, Tai)rol)anian, II, (p. 107). 

 1887. Hydrophis phipsoni Murray, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, II, (p. 32. 



pi. -). 



Description. — Adult female; U.S.N.M. No. 33931; Inatori, Idzu, 

 Hondo, Japan; December 22, 1903; A. Owston collection (fig. 351). 

 Rostral nearly as high as broad, the portion visible from above about 

 as long as interprefrontal suture; nasals large, the suture between 

 them twice as long as that between prefrontals; nostril in outer 

 posterior corner of nasal; prefrontals not larger than supraoculars 

 with wliich they are broadly in contact; frontal long, longer than its 



a Signifying blue-belted. 



