294 COLUBRID. 
deep as broad; nasals shorter than the frontal, twice to thrice as 
long as the suture between the prefrontals; frontal longer than 
broad, as long as or a little longer than its distance from the 
rostral, shorter than the parietals ; one pre- and two postoculars ; 
a single anterior temporal; seven upper labials, second largest and. 
in contact with the prefrontal, third and fourth entering the eye ; 
two pairs of chin-shields, in contact with each other. 27 to 29 
scales round the neck, 41 to 45 round the body; scales feebly 
imbricate, keeled, the keels very feeble in the female. Ventrals. 
very small, smooth in the female, with two tubercles in the male, 
372-400. Greyish olive above, yellowish white on the sides and 
beneath ; neck with dark olive or blackish cross-bars, which become 
very indistinct or disappear on the body. 
Total length 2300 millim.; tail 160. 
Malay Archipelago and North Coast of Australia. 
a-b. 6 (V. 389) & Malay Archipelago. Dr. Bleeker. 
ce] ff . 400). 
¢e. 2 (V. 372). Queensland. Prof. M. A. Thomson [P. }, 
11. Distira macfarlani. (Piare XVIL fig. 1.) 
Head moderate; body moderately elongate. Rostral a little 
broader than deep; nasals shorter than the frontal, about thrice as 
long as the suture between the prefrontals ; frontal once and three 
fourths to twice as long as broad, as long as or a little longer than 
its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; 
one pre- and two postoculars ; two superposed anterior temporals ;. 
seven or eight upper labials, second largest and in contact with 
the prefrontal, third and fourth entering the eye; fifth upper 
labial also entering the eye, if not, with a detached upper portion 
forming a subocular ; two pairs of chin-shields, in contact with each 
other. 31 to 35 scales round the neck, 43 to 45 round the body; 
scales feebly imbricate, smooth, or dorsals faintly keeled. Ventrals 
very small, 220-256. Whitish, with a dorsal and a ventral series 
of black rhomboidal transverse spots or cross-bars opposite to each 
other ; on the neck, the ventral spots are confluent in the middle 
and unite with the dorsals on both sides; head black above and 
beneath, with a yellow spot on the forehead and a yellow streak 
from the eye along the temple. 
Total length 460 millim. ; tail 40. 
Torres Straits. 
a-b, Yg. (V. 256, 220). Murray Id. Rev. 8. Macfarlane [C.].. 
12, Distira cyanocincta. 
Russell, Ind. Serp. ii. pl. ix. (1801). 
Hydrophis cyanocinctus, Daud. Rept. vii. p. 883 (1803); Peters, 
Mon. Berl, Ac. 1872, p. 852, pl. i. fig. 2; ‘Semi hanatoph, Ind. 
pl. xxiii. (1874) ; Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 891 (1884). 
ee on te rst Lactp, Ann. Mus. iv. 1804, pp, 198, 210, 
pl. lvii. fig. 1. 
Enhydris cyanocinctus, Merr. Tent. p. 141 (1820), 
