32 Journal of the F.M.S. Museums. [Vol. X, 



Colour. — The colour of specimens from this region 

 presents nothing that has not ah-eady been described. Four 

 individuals, however, deserve comment. No. 2045, although 

 adult, is still marked with narrow jet black dorsal bars in 

 the posterior three-quarters of the body. Nos. 2047, 2048, 

 3856 have a broad black irregular band along either side of 

 the body, a narrow ventral band, and irregular black dorsal 

 spots. All three are from the same locality. 



Distribution. — On both coasts of the Malay Peninsula 

 this form is extremely common. At the head of the Gulf 

 it is somewhat less numerous ; along the East coast of the 

 Gulf it is comparatively rare, and beyond Cap St. Jacques it 

 has not yet been recorded. 



Breeding. — Young are born in the Gulf in March and 

 April. Until recently I had never seen more than 5 embryos 

 to any female. Last year, however, I obtained one with 18, 

 five in one oviduct and thirteen in the other. 



Dentition. — Posterior maxillary, 3 ; palatine, 6 — 7 ; 

 pterygoid, 14 — 17 ; mandibular, 15 — 16 (9 specimens 

 examined) . 



Enhydris hardwickii (Gray) . 



Enhudris hardwickii, Bouleng. Cat. Sn. B. M., Ill, p. 301 (1896) ; 

 idem, Fauna Malay Pen., Kept, and Batr., p. 193 (1912) ; Wall, 

 Mem. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, II (8), p. 247 (1909) ; Smith, Journ. 

 Bombay N. H. S., XXIII, p. 787 (1915) ; Ouwens, De voornaamste 

 giftslangen van Nederlandsch oost-indie, pi. Ill (1916). 



Lapemis hardwickii, Stejneger, Herpet. Japan, pp. 401 and 435 

 (1907). 



This is a common species in the Gulf of Siam and along 

 the coast of the Malay Peninsula, and I have been able to 

 examine a large series. I have specimens also from Cap 

 St. Jacques, Cochin China, and no doubt it extends north- 

 wards up the coast of Annam, as it is said to be common 

 along the Western shores of Luzon. Males appear to be 

 far more numerous than females, the proportion in my 

 series being three to one. 



In the number of scales round the body, the range given 

 by Boulenger is certainly too limited, particularly in the 

 number round the middle of the body. My specimens 

 shew a much greater variation, and in this respect are more 

 in accordance with the figures given by Wall. The species 

 is so distinct that it cannot be confused with any other form. 



Sexual variation is well marked, the males having the 

 lower count both in body scales and ventrals. Specimens 

 from the West Coast of the Malay Peninsula do not appear 

 to differ, either in scalation or in colouration from those 

 found in Siamese waters. 



The following table is drawn up from about 230 ex- 

 amples : — • 



Males. 

 Round the neck :--23 to 29, usually 25 to 27." Round 

 the body :— 25 to 35, usually 27 to 33. Ventrals :— 114 to 

 152. 



