398 DR. J. ANDERSON ON PERSIAN, [Mar. 5, 



Where the dorsal and ventral segments are not connected, the latter 

 form rather broad, almost cone-shaped markings ; the upper sur- 

 face corresponding to the dorsal segments is dark olive, owing to 

 the basal half of each yellow scale being black. The lower half of 

 the length of the snake is rather bright yellow ; after the twelfth 

 ring from the head there is a round black spot on the dorsal surface 

 between the rings, one or two blanks occurring only here and there. 

 The latter half of the tail is black. 



In the second specimen the shields of the head and scales are as 

 those of the species ; but I only count twenty-six rows of the latter 

 round the neck, and 283 ventrals, which on the neck are rather 

 more than twice as large as the neighbouring scales. The ventrals 

 are undivided, and distinct throughout the whole length of the trunk. 

 There is the black line from the rostral along the upper lip, the 

 lower half of which is yellowish white, along with the chin, throat, 

 and greater part of frontals ; it is olive over the eye and temporals. 

 From the posterior border of the frontals backwards to the hinder 

 edge of the occiput, and including the two internal temporal shields, 

 is black, with a faint yellowish spot in the centre of the vertical and 

 each occipital. The trunk is encircled with forty perfect black rings, 

 broadest on the back and ventral surface ; on the latter region the 

 rings are all connected with each other by a black longitudinal line 

 twice the breadth of the ventral scales. One round, dorsal, black 

 spot occurs between the second and third rings, but it is partially 

 connected with the former. Between the sixth and seventh rings from 

 the tail, another similar but separate spot occurs ; and the colora- 

 tion of the part of the body where it is placed represents exactly 

 the coloration of the type of the species. The dorsal half of the 

 body is coloured as in the former specimen ; but its ventral half is 

 not so light in colour — a circumstance which may be due to its 

 greater youth. 



Hyorophis cantoris, Gthr. I. c. p. 374. 



I have received a young Hydrophis (also from Puri, and measuring 

 20-f inches in length) that fully agrees with Giinther's diagnosis of 

 the above species. The elongated neck is nearly one half of the 

 total length of the snake ; the rostral shield is much longer than 

 broad, and produced backwards, its hinder margin being in a line 

 with the posterior upper angle of the first labial. The third labial is in 

 contact with the nasal. The third labial enters the orbit, while the 

 fourth is subocular ; the postocular and two large temporals on each 

 side of the elongated occipitals. Two pairs of chin-shields in con- 

 tact with each other. Twenty-six rows of scales round the neck ; 

 443 ventrals, those on the neck twice as large as the adjoining 

 scales, and those on the compressed part of the body divided into two, 

 or distinct, each with two central tubercles. Six small anal shields. 

 Head and belly entirely black ; the body surrounded with fifty-three 

 black transverse bands, nearly all of which are confluent with the 

 black of the under surface, and many of them with each other on the 

 back, so that the greenish yellow of the ground-colour forms large 



