164: COLUBRID-5. 



in between the anterior and the labials. Scales very strongly- 

 keeled, in 23 or 25 (rarely 27) rows. Ventrals 122-160; anal 

 divided ; subcaudals 49-72. Grey, brown, olive, or blackish 

 above, with more or less distinct black spots or cross-bars ; a 

 black streak on eacli side of the head, passing through the eye ; a 

 more or less distinct white or yellow lateral band; beneath whitish 

 or yellowish, spotted or barred with black, or almost entirely 

 black. 



Total length 980 millim. ; tail 180. 



India and Ceylon, Burma, Indo-Chiua, Siam, Malay Peninsula 

 and Archipelago, Pelew Islands. 



Generally distributed in the Malay Peninsula, where it occurs. 

 in rivers, estuaries and sea-coasts. It feeds on fish. 



Genus FORDONIA. 

 Gray, Zool. Miscall, p. 67 (1842). 



Maxillary teeth small, 7 or 8, followed by a pair of enlarged 

 grooved teeth ; mandibular teeth subequal. Head small, not 

 distinct from neck ; eye very small, with vertically elliptic pupil ; 

 head-shields large ; nostril in an undivided or semidivided nasal ; 

 a single internasal, separating the nasals ; no loreal. Body cylin- 

 drical ; scales smooth, without pits, in 25 to 29 rows ; ventrals 

 well developed, not keeled. Tail shoii ; subcaudals in two rows. 



A bingle species. 



179. Fordonia leucobalia. 



Homalopsis leucohalia, Sclileg. Phys. Serp. ii, p. 345, pi. xiii, 



figs. 8 >Sr 9 (1837); Cantor, Jouni. Asiat. Sec. Bengal, xvi, 



p. 949, pi. xl, fig. 5 (18-J7). 

 Fordonia ufiicolo?; Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 77 (1849) ; Giinth. Kept. Brit. 



Ind. p. 277 (18641. 

 Fordonia leucobalia, Bouleng. Faun. Brit. lud., Kept. p. 378 (1890) ; 



id. Cat. Sn. iii, p. 21 (1896). 



Prontal a little longer than broad, longer than its distance from 

 the end of the snout, a little shorter than the parietals ; one prse- 

 and two postoculars ; temporals 1 -H 3 or 2 -)- 3 ; 5 upper labials, 

 third entering the eye ; 3 lower labials in contact ^^•ith the 

 anterior chin-shields, which are small and a little larger than the 

 posterior. Scales in 25 to 29 rows. A'entrals 130-156, last 

 frequently divided; anal divided; subcaudals 26-43. BroVn, 

 yellow, or red above, spotted or marbled with black, or black with 

 or without small yellowish white spots ; lower parts uniform 

 vellowisli white. 



Total length 930 millim. ; tail 110. 



Rivers and coasts of Bengal, Burma, Cochincbina, Malay 

 Peninsula and Archipelago, New Guinea, and North Austi'alia. 



