250 MAJOR F. WALL, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. 
(including Madagascar) to the Cape. In Australia, as far East as New Zealand. In 
America the Western Coast (Mexico, Ecuador, Panama). 
ASTROTIA. 
ASTROTIA STOKESI (Gray). 
Hydrus major, Shaw, Zool., 1802, ili, p. 558, in part. 
stokesii, Gray, Stokes Discov. Austral.., 1846, p. 502, pl. 111, and Cat., 1849, 
p. 58. 
Hydrophis annulatus, Gray, Cat., 1849, p. 59. 
? Astrotia schizopholis, Jan, Icon Gén., 1872, 39, pl. iii. 
Hydrophis stokesii, Gunther, Rept. Brit. Ind., 1864, p. 363. 
? a guttata, Murray in Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 1887, p. 34. 
as ocellata, Gunther, loc. cit., p. 378, and pl. xxv, fig. P. 
Distira stokesii, Boulgr.in Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Rept. and Batrach., 1890, 
p- 408, and Cat. Brit. Muse, 1806, iti, p. 288. 
Wallin Spol. Zeylan., August 1907, p. 168. 
)’ 
nN! 
Ond 
eects 
TIT ATY MOH) 
RT Weeeee 
Rc eeee 
x 
woceterst 
Fig. 65.—A strotia (Schizopholis) stokesi. After Jan, Icon. Gén., 1872, 30, pl. iii. 
L— 
a 
> 
I have examined seven examples. he species is not only very well differentiated, 
but possesses ventrals peculiar to itself, and I cannot but think that this alone war- 
rants its separation from the genus Distira, where Mr. Boulenger places it. These 
shields are best considered absent ; they are replaced by scales similar to the adjacent 
costals in that they are strongly imbricate, and serrate or dentate at the margins. 
They are little broader than the adjacent costal rows, and rather more pointed. There 
