230 MAJOR F. WALL, 1.M.S.. C.M.Z.S. 
Hydrophis obscurus, Bowlgr. in Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Rept. and Ba'rach. 
1890, p. 403. 
- Ee Sclater, List Snakes Ind. Mus., 1891, p. 63, Nos. 8254, 
8256 and 8262. 
oo - Boulgr., Cat., iti, p. 284. 
es “ Wallin Mem. As. Soc. Bengal, 1906, p. 286. 
be diadema, Gzrinther, loc. cit., p. 373, pl. xxv, fig S. 
_ stricticollis, Grinther, loc. cit., p. 376, pl. xxv, fig. R. 
Bie Anderson in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1872, p. 397. 
Fayrer, Thanatoph. Ind., 1874, pl. xxviii. 
ae nigrocinctus, Cantor, Cat. Malay Rept., 1847, p. 128. 
Distira lapemidoides, Wall and Evans in Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., xiii, pp. 
346 and 615. 
Fig. 44.—Distira torquata (x 2). 
I have examined 29 examples of this very well differentiated species. The types 
are in the British Museum. With them I think should be united rr of the 13 speci- 
mens at present labelled obscurus in that institution. As already mentioned under 
obscura in this paper, the remaining two specimens are Russell’s types of Daudin’s 
obscurus, and do not accord in any way with the description given by Mr. Boulenger 
under that title. His description, however, fits the remaining Ir examples labelled 
obscurus which I cannot see differ in any way from Giinther’s torvguatus. Reference 
to Mr. Boulenger’s descriptions of these two species (viz., obscurus and torquatus) in 
his Catalogue shows the following differences: the frontal is slightly shorter in to7- 
quatus, and the posterior shields in contact. ‘The first point is too trifling to consider 
of specific value, and as regards the chin shields, in 7 out of the 11 specimens above 
alluded to as labelled obscuvus, seven have the posterior fellows in contact. I have 
examined the examples of each supposed species side by side, and can find no means 
of discriminating between them. The two should, I think without any doubt, be 
united and Gunther's name torguatus retained to designate the species, as all names 
given prior to this are preoccupied. ‘The posterior maxillary teeth in the type speci- 
mens labelled ¢ovguatus are grooved, as I find them in specimens labelled obscurus. 
Description —The body anteriorly is from less than one-third to two-thirds the 
extreme depth behind. The former measurement is from a specimen of mine from 
Burma (figure 44) in which the costals are anterior 41, midbody 49, posterior 41, 
