436 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



1871. Ilijdrojtliis /(uircndud Andkrson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, XL, Pt. 2,1871 



\p. 19). 

 187(j. Hydrophis jidavioides Hiu;endork, Mitth. Deutych. (les. OsJt-Asiens, I, 



heft 10, p. 31 {lapsus). 

 1885. Hydrophis harduicki Boettger, Offenljaeh. Ver. Naturk. 24-25 Ber., 



p. 155 (emendation). 

 1888. Hydrophis hardwickei Boettcjer,. Offenl)ach. Ver. Naturk. 26-28 Ber., 



p. 150 (emendation). 



Jan's Hydrophis prohlematicus (liev. Mag. Zool., 1859, author's 

 separate, p. 25) with 27 scale rows on the highest part of the body 

 and 230 ventrals, can not well be this species. It is said to be from 

 Manila. 



There being no specimen from the waters adjacent to our territory 

 available for description a modified copy of Boidenger's diagnosis in 

 his Catalogue of Snakes is deemed sufficient for identification. 



Diagnosis. — Rostral as deep as broad or slightly broader than deep; 

 parietals large; one pre- and one to three post oculars; a loreal some- 

 times present; two or three superposed anterior temporals; 7 supra- 

 labials, fourth or third and fourth entering eye; chin-shields very 

 small and separated by scales, or quite indistinct; 25 to 33 scales 

 round the anterior part of the body, 34 to 37 round the middle, with 

 tubercles [very feebly developed or a short keel]; ventrals usually 

 very indistinct, 130-200. Coloration [above with dark transverse 

 bands, l)roadest in the middle; these bands] often forming ctmiplete 



rings round the body. 



Dimensions. 



mm. 



Totallength. 750 



Snout to vent 670 



Vent to tip of tail 80 



Habitat. — The claim of Lapemis hardwickii to a place in the Japa- 

 nese faima is doubtful. Schlegel enumerates and figures the species 

 in Fauna Japonica, as Hydrophis pelamidoides , but the only reason 

 given in the text is as follows: "A specimen of this curious reptile, 

 collected in the seas south of Japan, has recently been brought to 

 Holland. We hesitate the less in admitting this Hydrophis among 

 the number of animals belonging to the fauna of Japan, inasmuch 

 as it furnishes us an opportunity for publishing an exact figure of this 

 species." The implication is that the specimen was not actually 

 taken in Japanese waters, and so far as I know no later capture is on 

 record. However, Mueller reports recently a specimen in the Basel 

 Museum from the China Sea, and as the species appears to be common 

 on the west side of Luzon, there is everj^ chance that it may eventu- 

 ally be taken within our limits. 



To the west the species is known in the Bay of Bengal and in the 

 south to the coasts of New Guinea and Java. 



