228 - 



broad, as long as its distance from the tip of the snout; one 

 prae- and one or two postoculars; two superposed anterior 

 temporals; seven upper labials, third and fourth, third to fifth 

 or fourth and fifth entering the eye or some of them divided; 

 posterior chin-shields separated. Body long, slender anteriorly; 

 scales imbricate, keeled, in 39 rows (27 29 anteriorly); ventrals 

 310 331, entire. 



Olive above, yellow beneath, with 42 62 black annuli, 

 broader on the back; upper lip with a curved black streak; 

 head dark on the crown, with a yellow marking from the rostral 

 above the eyes to the temporal region; a short lateral black 

 band on the neck. Length of head and body 900 mm.; tail loomm. 



Habitat: Ternate '). Bay of Bengal; Strait of Malacca; 

 Malay Peninsula; Siam. 



3. Hydrophis gracilis (Shaw). 



Hydras gracilis, Shaw, Zool. Ill 1802, p. 560. 



Hydrophis gracilis, Boulenger, Cat. Sn. Ill 1896, p. 280; Repl. Malay Penin- 

 sula 1912, p. 191. 



Head very small; snout projecting; eye at least as long as 

 its distance from the mouth. Rostral as deep as broad; prae- 

 frontals usually touch the second upper labial; frontal very 

 small, more long than broad, about as long as its distance from 

 the rostral; one prae- and one or two postoculars; a large 

 anterior temporal, in contact with the fifth and sixth labials, 

 followed by another large shield; six upper labials, third and 

 fourth entering the eye; both pairs of small chin-shields in 

 contact. Body long, extremely slender anteriorly; scales with 

 two or more tubercles, which are strong in males, imbricate 

 anteriorly, juxtaposed posteriorly, in 29 33 rows (19 21 ante- 

 riorly); ventrals 225 298, entire anteriorly, grooved or divided 

 posteriorly. 



Black or olive above, with indistinct lighter transverse bands 

 anteriorly. Young specimens with the head and neck black, 

 neck with light bands; body with 4.2 61 rhombic bands con- 

 tinued to the belly or nearly interrupted on the sides, or black 

 with elliptical vertical white spots on the sides. Length of 

 head and body 930 mm.; tail 90 mm. 



Habitat: Java; Madura; Borneo; Indian Ocean!. Gulf of 



i) PETERS & DORIA, Ann. Mus. Genova XIII 1878, p. 416. 



