1S4 1 MAJOR F. WALL, I.M.S., C.M.Z:S. 
PLATURUS. 
Key to the species of Platurus. 
(A Rostral touches five shields ne 53 <, .. schistorhynchus. 
(B) Rostral touches six shields 
(a) Frontal touches six shields yy ace rs .. laticaudatus. 
(b) Frontal touches seven shields .. = 56 .. colubrinus. 
PLATURUS SCHISTORHYNCHUuS (Gunther). 
Platurus schistorhynchus, Giinther in Proc. Zool. Soc., 1874, p- 297; pl. xlv, 
> F fig. A. Boulgr. in Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Rept. 
1890, p. 375, and Cat. iii, 1896, p. 309. 
Fig. 1.—Platurus schistorhynchus (nat. size). 
I have examined over 40 examples. 
Description. Rostral,—touches five shields; the rostro-labial and _ rostro- 
internasal sutures subequal, largest. Internasal s,—one anterior succeeded by one 
rather irregular row which might be considered either posterior internasals, or anterior 
pteefrontals. Prefrontals,—three in one transverse series, the outer not touching 
any supralabial Frontal,—touches seven shields; the fronto-parietal and fronto- 
supraocular sutures subequal and largest. Supraoculars,—entire; about half as 
broad and three quarters as long as the frontal. Parietals,—entire; as broad or 
broader than long, shorter than the frontal. Nasals,—lateral; in contact with the first 
three supralabials. Preoculars,—one. Postoculars,—two. Temporal s,— 
two (rarely three) small. Supralab ials,—seven; the third and fourth touching the 
eye. Infralabials,—the fourth is the largest of the series, and in contact with three 
scalesbehind. Marginals,—usually after the fourth infralabial. Sublinguals,— 
anterior well-developed; the posterior if they can be recognised as such, small, and 
quite separated. Costals,—anteriorly 21 to 23, midbody 21 to 23 (usually 23), 
posteriorly 19 to 21; smooth; imbricate. Ventrals 178 to 200; three or more times 
as broad as the last costal row, the last one or two frequently divided ; the posterior 
obtusely keeled in the median line. Anal,—divided. Colour,—broadly banded, 
dark brown and yellowish or greyish; the bands well defined, and the brown rather 
broader. 
Habitat.—1.oo Choo Islands, Moluccas, Savage Island, Society Islands, Samoa, 
