563 



FASCIATED HYDRUS. 



Hydrus Fasciatus. H. niger,fasciis ascendentibusjlavidis. 

 Black Hydrus with ascendent yellowish bands. 

 Anguis laticauda. Lin. Mus. Ad. Frid. 2. p. 43. 

 Hydrus fasciatus. Schneid. Amph. 1. p. 240. 

 Tatta Pam. Russet's Ind. Serp. pi. 44. 



THE Fasciated Hydrus is described and figured 

 by Mr. Vosmaer, in his work on some of the rarer 

 species of animals, as well as by Dr. Russel, in his 

 publication on the Indian Serpents. It appears, 

 from the account of Mr. Schneider, to arrive at a 

 considerable size, though the specimen figured by 

 Dr. Russel scarcely measures two feet in length : 

 it is of a long and slender habit, and is of a black 

 colour, fasciated throughout its whole length by 

 pretty closely placed yellowish white pointed 

 bands, rising upwards from the abdomen, and 

 almost meeting at their tips on the ridge of the 

 back : the head is small, or not broader than the 

 neck, and is covered by large scales : the neck 

 cylindric : the back carinated, the sides declining, 

 and the belly roundish : the scales on the trunk, 

 tail, and belly, orbicular, close, and not imbri- 

 cated : the tail, which does not much exceed the 

 diameter of the body, terminates obtusely, yet 

 tipped with a point : the teeth are small ; a mar- 

 ginal and two palatal rows appearing in the upper 

 jaw; and, therefore, according to the general rule, 

 it may be supposed not poisonous : Mr. Schneider, 

 however, in the larger specimens which he exa- 



