232 



the snout, shorter than the parietals, two or three times as 

 broad as a supraocular; one or two prae- and one or two 

 postoculars; one or two anterior temporals; seven or eight 

 upper labials, often the posterior divided, fourth, third and 

 fourth or third to fifth entering the eye, second largest; both 

 pairs of chin-shields in contact, posterior largest. Body mode- 

 rate, slender anteriorly; scales juxtaposed, obtusely keeled, in 

 37 43 rows (27 29 anteriorly); ventrals 235 267, entire, 

 with two keels in the male. 



Grey above, uniform or with 26 37 black dorsal bars, 

 sometimes confluent vertebrally, or with rhomboidal black spots. 

 Lower surface white or pink. Young specimens completely 

 banded; end of tail black. Length of head and body 820 mm.; 

 tail 100 mm. 



Habitat: Indian Ocean!; Java 1 ); Borneo (Oya) 2 ). Gulf 

 of Persia; Burma; Siam; Hongkong; Hainan. 



10. Hydrophis jerdoni (Gray). 



Kerilia jerdonii, Gray, Cat. Sn. 1849, p. 57. 



Distira jerdonii, Boulenger, Cat. Sn. Ill 1896, p. 299. 



Hydrophis jerdonii^ Boulenger, Kept. Malay Penin. 1912, p. 186. 



Head short; snout rather pointed; eye as long as its distance 

 from the mouth. Rostral as deep as broad ; nasals shorter 

 than the frontal, more than twice as long as the suture between 

 the praefrontals; frontal more long than broad, almost as long 

 as its distance from the tip of the snout; one prae- and one 

 postocular; anterior temporal large, bordering the lip; five 

 upper labials anterior to the temporal, third and fourth entering 

 the eye; one or two pair of chin-shields. Body moderate; 

 scales strongly keeled, imbricate, in 19 21 rows (15 17 

 anteriorly); ventrals 224 238, entire, with two keels. 



Olive above, with 31 41 black transverse bands, forming 

 rings in young specimens; a black spot between each pair of 

 rings may be present. Lower surface yellowish. Length of 

 head and body Sio mm.; tail 100 mm. 



Habitat: Borneo (Pontianak river); Indian Ocean!. 

 Coasts of the Malay Peninsula!; Siam; Penang; Bay of Bengal. 



1) BOULENGER, Cat. p. 299. 



2) SHELFORD, J. Straits Br. Asiat. Soc. XXXV 1901, p. 66. 



