43 

 i. Acrochordus javanicus Hornst. 



Acrochordiis javanicus, Hornstedt, Abh. Ac. Stockholm VIII 1787, p. 307, pi. XII. 

 Acrochordus javanicus^ Boulenger, Cat. Sn. I 1893, p. 173. 



No shields on the head, but very small, rough scales, larger 

 near the mouth ; 120 150 scales round the body, dorsals largest. 



Brown or olive above, spotted or marbled with black. Lower 

 surface lighter. Length of head and body 1855 mm.; tail 

 245 mm. ; attains a length of nearly 3 M. 



Nom. in dig. Ular belalei gajah (mal.). 



Habitat: Sumatra (Upper Langkat, Indragiri) ; Siak ! ; Java ! 

 (Buitenzorg) ; Borneo! (Baram district, Sadong river, Sarawak); 

 New Guinea (Mimika river, Lorentz river, Fly river). Malay 

 Peninsula; Siam; N. Queensland (rivers of the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria). 



Aquatic, living in ditches and canals. A female in captivity 

 brought forth 27 young ones, which were very active. Feeds 

 on water beetles and fruit. 



2. Chersydrus Cuvier. 



(CuviER, Regne Anim. II p. 75, 1817). 



Head not distinct from neck, small, covered with small jux- 

 taposed scales; nostrils on the top of the snout, close together; 

 eye very small; pupil vertically elliptic; teeth almost equal, 

 12 15 in each maxillary. Body stout, compressed, covered 

 with small, rhomboidal, juxtaposed scales with a tubercle-like 

 keel, spinose beneath; no ventral shields; a fold of the skin 

 along the middle of the belly. Tail short, compressed, prehensile. 



Distribution. S. E. Asia; Papuasia. 



A single species. 



i. Chersydrus granulatus (Schn.). 



Hydrus granulatus, Schneider, Hist. Amph. I 1799, p. 243. 

 Chersydrus granulatus, Boulenger, Cat. Sn. I 1893, p. 174 (s. syn.). 



No rostral; a series of larger shields on the lips, separated 

 from the mouth by a row of very small scales; no chin-shields. 

 About 100 scales round the body, dorsals largest. 



Olive or blackish with lighter transverse bands or annuli, 

 sometimes disappearing in the adult. Length of head and body 

 900 mm.; tail 100 mm. 



Nom indig. Ular kadut (mal.). 



