MORPHOLOGY OF VENOMOUS SNAKES 27 



Distira subcincta. 



Forty-one dark bands, separated by spaces the width of the bands. The bands 

 stop in the middle of the side of the body; series of small black spots on sides. Length 

 3.2 feet. Indian Ocean. 



Distira cyanocincta. (Plate 9, A.) 



Greenish -olive with quite large black or dark rings on back; the belly has a 

 black longitudinal band. Length 5 feet. Persian Gulf, India, coasts of China 

 and Japan, Papuasia. 

 Distira jerdonii. 



Olive above with black rings; between the rings black spots. Length 3 feet. 

 Gulf of Bengal, Strait of Malacca, and Borneo. 



Genus ACALYPTUS Dume"ril and Bibron. 



The maxillary bone is longer than ectopterygoids, the head covered with scales 

 behind. Body elongated. Western tropical Pacific Ocean. 



Acalyptus peronii. 



Gray or pale olive above, with white belly and dark bands. Length 3 feet. 

 Hong Kong, western Pacific tropical zone. 



Genus HYDROPHIS Daudin. (Plate 10, A, B.) 



Maxillary longer than the ectopterygoid, not extending forward as far as the 

 palatine; poison fangs large, followed by a series of 7 to 18 solid teeth. Head 

 small; nostrils superior, pierced in a single nasal shield, which is in contact with 

 its fellow; head-shields large; praeocular present; loreal usually absent. Body very 

 long, often very slender anteriorly; scales on the anterior part of the body, imbri- 

 cate; ventrals more or less distinct; very small. 



Indian and Pacific Oceans, from the Persian Gulf to Southern China and north- 

 ern Australia. 



Hydrophis obscurus s. stricticollis. 



Dark olive-green with yellow bars which form rings in the compressed posterior 

 part of body; yellow spots on muzzle and yellow bars on each side of head. Length 

 about 3 feet. Gulf of Bengal; Malay Archipelago. 



Hydrophis spiralis. 



Olive above, yellowish beneath, with black rings; head black, with a horseshoe- 

 shaped yellow spot whose convexity rests upon prefrontal scales. Length 1.5 feet. 



Hydrophis caerulescens. 



Color gray with coarse black bands, forming complete rings or interrupted 

 annules on ventral surface; head uniformly black. Length about 2 feet. Coast 

 of Bombay, Gulf of Bengal, Strait of Malacca. 



Hydrophis nigrocinctus. 



Pale olive above, yellowish on belly, with black rings which are larger beneath. 

 Length 3 feet. Gulf of Bengal, Strait of Malacca. 



Hydrophis elegans. 



Pale yellow above, with black rhomboid cross-speckles separated by a black 

 spot; black spots on belly; head covered with black, crossed by a light line from 

 nose and eyes. Length about 2.5 feet. From Malay Islands to northern Australia. 



Hydrophis gracilis. 



Olive or bluish back with clear crossbands anteriorly, and rhomboid speckles 

 reaching the belly or interrupted on the sides. Length 3 feet. Persian coasts, 

 India, Ceylon, Malay Archipelago. 



