394 



COLUBKIDjE. 



b. Mental shield narrow, elongate, partly con- 

 cealed in a deep groove in the lower jaw ; 

 maxillary a little longer than transpalatine, 



with 4 solid teeth ENHYDBINA, p. 405 



B. Poison-fangs followed by 4 to 10 solid maxil- 

 lary teeth, which are grooved anteriorly DISTIRA, p. 407. 



Fig. 116. Views of right maxillo-palatal arch. 



A. Platurus. B. Enhydris. C. Hydrus. 



m. Maxillary, pi. Palatine, pt. Pterygoid. tp. Trauspalatine. 



Genus PLATURUS, 

 Daudin, Hist. Kept, vii, p. 223, 1803. 



Maxillary very short, with a pair of large grooved fangs followed 

 by a single very small solid tooth. Head-shields normal ; nasals 



Fig. 117. Head of Platurus laticattdatus. 



lateral. Scales smooth and imbricate. Ventrals and subcaudals 

 large. 



Distribution. Eastern parts of the Indian Ocean and West Pacific. 



This genus approaches the Elapince (Bungarus and CullopJiis) 

 in the shape of the skull, the scaling of the head and body, and 



