DISTIBA. 409 



margin. 15 or 17 scales round the neck, 19 or 21 round the 

 middle of the body ; scales broader than long, slightly imbricate, 

 strongly keeled. Ventrals distinct, but feebly enlarged, more or 

 less distinctly bituberculate, 224-238. Olive above, yellowish 

 beneath, with black cross bands which form complete rings in 

 young and half-grown specimens ; a black spot may be present 

 between each pair of annuli. 



Total length 35 inches. 



Hfib. Bay of Bengal and Straits of Malacca. 



507. Distira robusta. 



Hydrophis nigrocincta, part., Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii, p. ~>05, pi. xviii, 



figs. 8-10. 

 Hydrophis nigrocincta (non Daud.\ Fischer, Abh. Naturw. Hamb. 



iii, 1856, p. 40, pi. i. 

 Hydrophis robusta, Gilnth. Rept. B. I. p. 304 ; Fayrer, Thanatoph. 



pi. xxi; Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 394. 

 Hydrophis rappii, Jan, Icon. Ophid. 41, pi. iv, fig. 1. 

 Hydrophis temporalis, Blanf. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 080, fig. 

 Hydrophis bishopii, Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 391, pi. . 



Head moderate ; body moderately elongate. Eostral broader 

 than deep ; nasals shorter than the frontal, about twice as long as 

 the suture between the praefrontals ; frontal much longer than 

 broad, as long as its distance from the end of the snout, shorter 

 than the parietals ; one pr- and one or two postoculars ; 7 upper 

 labials, second largest, third and fourth, or third, fourth, and fifth, 

 entering the eye ; a single large anterior temporal, descending to 

 the labial margin; two pairs of subequal chin -shields, in contact 

 on the middle line. 27 to 31 scales round the neck, 32 to 35 

 round the middle of the body ; scales rhomboidal and subimbricate, 

 smooth or each with a more or less distinct central tubercle or 

 short obtuse keel. Ventrals distinct throughout, smooth or 

 bitubercular, 310-372. Greenish yellow above, dorsal scales with 

 black margins, with black cross bands or aunuli, which are 

 narrower than the interspaces between them; sides and lower 

 parts yellowish ; end of tail black. 



Total length 6 feet. 



Hob. Persian Gulf and coasts of India, Burma, and the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



508. Distira tuberculata. 



Hydrophis tuberculata, Anders. J. A. S. B. xl, 1871, pt. 2, t p. 18; 

 Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 393. 



Head moderate ; neck not very slender. Eostral broader than 

 deep ; head-shields studded with minute granules ; fourth and fifth 

 labials below the eye ; one prae- and two postoculars ; anterior 

 temporal large and almost entering the labial margin; two pairs 

 of large square chin-shields in contact with each other. 38 rows 

 of slightly imbricate scales round the neck, each with two 



