434 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI. 



collection originally presented by Russell to the Royal College of 

 Surgeons. This specimen is probably the subject from which 

 figure IX Russell's second volume published in 1801 is taken. 

 The name cyanocinctus was conferred by Daudin in 1803. 



Nomenclature. (") Scientific. — The generic name is from the 

 Greek signifying " water snake," and the specific is a hybrid 

 word of Greek and Latin origin meaning " blue banded." 



(]>) English. — One cannot do better than appropriate the 

 vernacular name for English use. 



(<:) Vernacular. — According to Russell " chittul " is the name 

 by which the snake is known to the natives about the Sunder- 

 bunds, but I very much doubt if they can really discriminate 

 between this and many other sea-snakes. The word is probably a 

 derivative of " chitti " implying spotted or mottled. 



General Characters. — The adult is a strongly built and heavy 

 snake. The forebody is cylindrical, and varies from about two-fifths 

 to two-thirds the depth of the body at its greatest girth, except in 

 heavily gravid females where it may be only one-third. Posteriorly 

 the bodv is compressed, and the tail is flatly compressed as in other 

 sea-snakes. The head, of the same calibre as the forebody, is 

 relatively large and the jaws strong. 



Colouration. — The mam- varieties have been summed up by Mr. 

 Boulenger, and I have little to add to his arrangement. 



Variety (A), — typica (Daudin). With well-defined black bands, 

 more or less connected veutrally. 



(a) All the bands complete. A common form ranging from the 

 Persian Gulf to Tenasserim. 



(l>) With some of the posterior bands interrupted costally or 

 subcostally. Not uncommon. From the Persian Gulf to Tenas- 

 serim. 



(c) With some of the posterior bands deficient ventrally, and 

 thus converted into bars. Not uncommon. From the Persian 

 Gulf to Tenasserim. 



Variety (B). — With well-defined black bands not united ventrally. 

 A common form occurring between the Persian Gulf and 

 Tenasserim. 



Variety (C). — With obscure bands or bars. A common form 

 usually met with in adult specimens, and occurring between the 

 Persian Gulf and Tenasserim. 



Variety (D). — With well-defined dorsal bars. A common form 

 seen in examples from the Persian Gulf to Tenasserim. 



Variety (E). — The phipsoni of Murray. With a continuous, 

 black dorsal band. A rare form known from a single specimen 

 from Bombay, in the Bombay Natural History Society collection. 



