58 OX A LITTLE-KNOWN SEA-SNAKE FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 



B. (Total length 690 millim. ; tail 105.) Blackish brown, speckled with yellow on 

 the sides and beneath, here and there with small yellow spots showing, in their arrange- 

 ment, traces of the annuli described in the preceding specimen ; head yellow, spotted 

 and speckled with black. 



This species appears to have been described, almost simultaneously, by Krefft and 

 by Bavay. The specimens obtained at Lifu by Dr Willey are unquestionably referable 

 to Bavay's species, established on examples from the same locality and agreeing in the 

 conical shape of the rostral shield. As to the Snakes, of unknown origin, described by 

 Krefft, Mr E. R. Waite, of the Sydney Museum, has been so kind as to supplement, at 

 my request, the insufficient account of them given by that author. Mr Waite agrees 

 with me that Emydocephalus annulatus and E. tuberculatus are " undoubtedly the same," 

 and he adds the following notes on their head-shields : " Rostral a little deeper than 

 broad, with a groove on each side running from the mouth to the nasal 1 . Frontal 

 slightly longer than broad, not so long as its distance from the snout. Nasal broadly 

 in contact with the single praeocular. Three pairs of chin-shields, first smallest, the 

 last separated by a shield." 



These notes, together with a sketch of the head, upper and side views, taken 

 from one of the types (that of E. tuberculatus), show a remarkable agreement with 

 Dr Willey's specimens, except for the absence of the conical tubercle on the rostral 

 shield. However, the fact that the degree of development of this tubercle varies in 

 the Lifu specimens according to Bavay ("plus ou moins prononcee selon les individus') 

 renders it doubtful whether this character by itself can be regarded as indicating 

 specific difference, and I think it advisable to consider, provisionally at least, the 

 specimens with and those without the tubercle as pertaining to a single species. This 

 view is further substantiated by the remarkable agreement in the number of ventral 

 and subcaudal shields, viz. 135 — 144+30 — 36 in Krefft's two specimens, and 144 + 36 

 in Bavay's type; whilst our two specimens show 139 — 141 + 31. As regards coloration, 

 our specimens represent A. annulatus, Krefft (A) and A. tuberculatus, Krefft (B), w+iilst 

 A. chelonicephalus, Bavay, appears to be exactly intermediate between the two. 



1 A trace of this groove is observable in our specimen B. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE V. 



Aipysurus annulatus. Natural size, with upper view of head ; and side view of head 

 and anterior part of body of smaller specimen (B). 



