DIPSADOMORPHUS. 167 



Hipistes hyclrinus, Giinth. Kept. Brit. Ind. p. 287, pi. xxiv, fig. H 

 (1864);" Bouleng. Faun. Brit. Ind., Kept. p. 382 (1890); id. 

 Cat. Sn. iii, p. 24 (1896). 



Frontal narrow, twice as long as broad, as long as or a little 

 longer than its distance from the end of the snout ; eye between 

 4 shields — a supraocular, a prteocular, a subocular, and a small 

 postocular ; 7 upper labials ; 5 lower labials in contact with the 

 anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields extremely small. 

 Scales in 35 to 43 rows. Ventrals 153-172 ; anal divided ; sub- 

 caudals 21-35. Pale grey or brownish above, with black cross- 

 bands, as broad as the interspaces between them or narrower ; 

 lower parts white. 



Total lengtli 485 millim. ; tail 50. 



Mouth of rivers and coasts of Pegu, Siam, and the Malay 

 Peninsula. 



The most Hydrophid-like of the Homalopshm. The specimens 

 described by Cantor were captured in fishing-stakes placed i^ the 

 sea off the shores of Kedah, or washed on shore by the waves on 

 the coast of Penang. It is also on record from the coast of 

 Selangor and from Singapore. It Jives almost entirely upon fish. 



Subfamily DIPSADOMORPHIN^E. 



jS>jnopsis of the Genera. 



Pupil vertical ; body more or less com- 

 pressed ; vertebral scales enlarged ; max- 

 illary teeth subequal Dipsadomorphus. p, 167. 



Pupil vertical, or vertically subelliptic ; 

 body cylindrical ; vertebral scales not 

 eularged ; third and fourth maxillary 

 teeth much enlarged, fang-like Psammodynastes, p. 172. 



Pupil horizontal ; body compressed, very 

 slender; vertebral scales slightly en- 

 larged ; one or two middle maxillary 

 teeth much enlarged, fang-like Dryophis, p 174 



Pupil horizontal; body compressed, slender; 

 vertebral scales not enlarged ; maxillary 

 teeth subequal Dryophiops, p. 176. 



Pupil round ; ventrals and subcaudals with 

 a suture-like lateral keel and a notch on 

 each side corresponding to the keel .... Chrysotelea, p. 176. 



Genus DIPSADOMORPHUS. 



Fitzing. in Tschudi, Faun. Per., Herp. p. 55 (1845). 



Maxillary teeth 10 to 14, subequal in size, followed by two or 

 three enlarged, grooved fangs ; anterior mandibular teeth longest. 



