THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 437 



shores with the single exception of the Jew's nose (JE. valakadyn). 

 In the Persian Gulf it is probably the commonest of all sea-snakes. 

 About Ceylon it appears to be much less abundant than on the 

 shores of India. I can find no record from the Andamans, though 

 one can hardly doubt that it occurs there. 



Plate. _ 



On the coloured plate the names of the snakes are given as 

 * Distira spiralis var brugmansii and Distira cyanocincta ; these should 

 now be changed to Hydrophis sjiiralis var brugmansii and Hydrophis 

 cyanocincta respectively. 



* In my '' Monograph of the Sea-snakes " published in the Memoirs of the 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1909, I pointed out that the genus Distira 

 (Boulenger) rested on a mistaken basis. I contended that the posterior maxillary 

 teeth in all Hydrophis were grooved, and Boulenger was in error in supposing 

 these teeth in Hydrophis were not grooved. This being the only difference on 

 which the two were separated I claimed that they should rest under a single 

 generic title. Since this Boulenger has published a work on the Malayan 

 Beptilia, and in this he has accepted my observations and Distira now is 

 suppressed in favour of Hydrophis, for all those species previously included by 

 him under Distira and Hydrophis. 



