HTDROPHIS. 



187 



Bay of Bengal, coasts of the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. 

 Cantor obtained a single specimen, captured in a fishing-stake off 

 Penang ; several were found on the Patani Coast by the Skeat 

 Expedition and by Messrs. Annandale and Eobinson. 



203. Hydrophis caerulescens. 



Hydrus cccridescens, Shaw, Zool. iii, p. 561 (1802). 



Hydropliis Cfcrulescens, Guiith. Kept. Brit. Ind. p. 305, pi. xxv, 



fi.<?. C (1864) : Bouleng. Faim. Brit. Ind., Eept. p. 400 (1890) ; 



id. Cat. Sn. iii, p. 275 (1896). 



Head very small ; body long, very slender anteriorly. Eye as- 

 long as its distance from the moutb. Eostral broader than deep ; 

 frontal longer than broad, shorter than its distance from the 

 rostral ; one prse- and one postociilar ; two superposed anterior 

 temporals ; 7 upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye ; 

 chin-shields very small, posterior pair separated by scales. 35 to 

 38 scales round neck, 48 to 50 round thickest part of body ; scales- 

 rhomboidal, imbricate, with a strong short keel. Ventrals distinct 

 throughout, 280-309. Grey above, with black cross-bands, 

 broadest on the back, forming complete rings or interrupted on 

 the belly ; head uniform black. 



Total length 065 millim. ; tail 75. 



Coasts of India and the Malay Peninsula. Dr. Cantor's collec- 

 tion contained a specimen from Penang. Others were obtained 

 on the Perak Coast by Mr. L. AV^ray and on the Patani Coast by 

 Messrs. Annandale and Robinson. 



204. Hydrophis nigrocinctus. 



Baud. Hist. Rept. vii, p. 380 (1803) ; Giinth. Kept. Brit. Iiid. 

 p. 368, pi. XXV, fig. L 1^1864) ; Fayrer, Thanatoph. Ind. pi. xxv 

 (1874) ; Bouleng. Faun. Brit. Ind., Rept. p. 400 (1890) ; id. Cat. 

 Sn. iii, p. 277 (1896). 



Head small ; body long, slender anteriorly. Eye as long as its 

 distance from the mouth. Eostral broader tlian deep ; frontal 

 longer than broad, as long as its distance from the end of the 

 snout ; one prte- and one or two postoculars ; a small loreal some- 

 times present ; two superposed anterior temporals ; 7 upper 

 labials, third and fourtli entering the eye ; two pairs of chin- 

 shields, posterior separated by scales. 27 or 29 scales round 

 neck, 39 round thickest part of body ; scales in\bricate, rhom- 

 boidal, keeled. Ventrals feebly enlarged, 310-331. Pale olive 

 above, yellowish beneath, \\\t\\ black annuli, which are bi-oadel- on 

 the back. 



Total length 1000 millim. ; tail 100. 



Bay of Bengal and Straits of Malacca. Obtained also on the 

 East Coast, at Patani, by the Skeat Expedition. 



