192 COLUBEID.i;. 



cross-bands continued to the belly or sub-interrupted on the 

 sides ; or black with a series of elliptical vertical whitish spots 

 on each side. 



Total length 1020 millim. ; tail 90. 



Prom the coast of Persia to the Malay Archipelago. 



A young specimen was obtained on the Pataui Coast by Messrs. 

 Annandale and Robinson and was erroneously referred by me to 

 H. ivrayi. The species is recorded from Singapore by Hanitsch 

 (Eep. Baffles Mus. 1897, p. 10). 



Genus ENHYDRIS. 

 Merrem, Tent. Syst. Amph. p. 140 (1820). 



Maxillary bone as long as the ectopierygoid, extending forwards 

 as far as the palatine, with two large poison-fangs followed by 

 2 to 1 small teeth. Nostrils superior ; head-shields large ; nasals 

 in contact with each other ; a praeocnlar ; loreal present or absent. 

 Body short and stout ; scales hexagonal or squarish, juxtaposed ; 

 ventrals very feebly developed, if at all distinct. 



Two species : — 



Parietals broken up into small shields E. curtiis, p. 192. 



Parietals large E. hardwickii, p. 193. 



212. Enhydris curtus. 



Hydnis ctirtus, Shaw, Zool. iii, p. 562 (1802). 



Enhijdris curtus, Merr. Tent. p. 140 (1820) ; Bouleno-. Faun. Brit. 



Ind., Kept. p. 396 (1890) ; id. Cat. Sn. iii, p. 300 (1896) ; Laidlaw, 



P. Z. S. 1901, ii, p. 580. 

 HydrojyJiis curia, Giiuth. Rept. Brit. lud. p. 379 (1864) ; Fayrer, 



I'hanatoph. Ind. pi. xxiv (1874). 



Rostral broader than deep ; parietals broken up into small 

 shields ; one pra;- and one or two postoculars ; no loreal ; 2 or 3 

 superposed anterior temporals ; 7 upper labials, 1, 2, or 3 entering 

 the eye; chin-shields A^ery small and separated by scales, or quite 

 indistinct. 30 to 38 scales round anterior part of body, 33 to 42 

 round middle, with a very feebly developed tubercle or short 

 keel ; scales on lower surface with a strong spinose tubercle in 

 males, ventrals with two. Ventrals 150-200. Above with dark 

 transverse bands, broadest in the middle ; these bauds usually 

 very dark, nearly black, rarely rather indistinct (in old specimens); 

 end of tail black. 



Total length 750 millim.; tail 75. 



Persian Grulf to Malay Archipelago. Obtained at Singapore by 

 the Skeat Expedition. 



