1920.] Dr. Malcolm Smith : Sea Snakes. 7 



rostral ; one prae- and two postoculars ; two superposed 

 anterior temporals ; eight supralabials, the 2nd in contact 

 with the praefrontal, 3rd and 4th touching the eye ; three 

 or four infralabials in contact with the anterior chin-shields; 

 no distinct posterior pair. 45 scales round the neck, 55 round 

 the thickest part of the body, * those anterior feebly 

 imbricate, elongate, with truncated apex, and feebly keeled, 

 those posterior, hexagonal and subimbricate, with a short 

 central keel ; ventrals distinct throughout, 281, bicarinate ; 

 subcaudals, 43. 



Pale yellowish-grey above, whitish below, with 30 dark 

 dorsal rhombs on the body, tapering to a point on the 

 sides ; tail with 4 bars and a dark tip. Head above pale 

 olivaceous. 



Dimensions.—Total length, 860 ; tail, 80, depth of 

 neck, 18 ; of body, 42 mm. 



Dentition. — Posterior maxillary, 10 ; palatine, 10 ; 

 pterygoid, 23 or 24 ; mandibular, 22, (1 specimen 

 examined) . 



Type. — Female, author's number, 1112. Collected at 

 4J\e mouth of the Meklawng river. Inner Gulf of Siam, in 

 Sept., 1916. 



Variation. — By fragmentation of the upper extremity 

 of the 3rd supralabial on one side, it is prevented from 

 touching the eye. There are no small scales interposed 

 between the infralabials. 



A second specimen of this snake. No. 4010, a juvenile, 

 total length 335 mm., differs from the type in the following 

 particulars : — Portion of rostral visible above equal to 

 nearly half the length of the internasal suture ; 7 upper 

 labials ; posterior chin-shields small, separated by four 

 scales ; 302 ventrals ; 38 dark dorsal rhombs. 



It was collected at Hua Hin, near the type locality by 

 Mr. S. G. Lambert, after whom I have much pleasure in 

 naming it. 



This snake is closely allied to H. ornatus (Gray) from 

 which it differs chiefly in the greater number of scale rows 

 round the neck and body. 



Hydrophis godeffroyi Peters. 



Hydrophis godeffroiji, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac, 1872, p. 856, p. 1, 

 fig. 3. 



Distira godeffroyi, Boulenger, Gat. Sn. B. M., Ill, p. 291 (1896). 

 Disteira godeffroyi, Stejneger, Herpet. Japan, p. 430 (1907). 



Distira ornata, Wall, Mem. As. Soc. Bengal, II, (8), p. 234 

 (1909). 



Cap St. Jacques, 2 exs. 



I have referred these specimens to H. godeffroyi as they 

 agree very well, both with Boulenger's description of this 



* 35 and 45 scale rows, as given in my preliminary diagnosis, 

 is an error, and is lierewith corrected. 



