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



and not much broader than the neck ; the remainder of the body 

 much compressed. Rostral considerably broader than high. The 

 nasals as broad posteriorly as their common suture is long. The 

 third and fourth labials enter the orbit, the former not being in 

 contact with the nasal. Three temporals, the anterior being the 

 largest. Two postoculars. Vertical much pointed behind. Occi- 

 pitals long and narrow. Two almost quadrangular chin-shields in 

 contact with each other. Thirty-three rows of scales round the 

 neck. The scales hexagonal, not imbricate, with a feeble central 

 tubercle. Ventrals 387, smooth, the first forty on the neck being 

 about four times as large as the adjoining scales, those behind 

 them becoming small and narrow as they are traced backwards, and 

 hardly discernible on the last 6 inches of the trunk. Two pairs of 

 small scale-like anals. Tail broad and markedly dilating from its 

 root. Lips yellowish ; upper surface of head, upper half of neck, 

 and dorsal two fifths of compressed portion of body greenish olive ; 

 undersurface of head and all the remaining portion of the neck and 

 body salmon-coloured. Fifty-seven very obscure darker olive, al- 

 most black rhomboidal bars on the dark dorsal area, and not extend- 

 ing on to the light-coloured sides. The tail pale greenish olive, 

 mottled and tipped with black. 



Length 38" 3 ", of which the tail constitutes 2" 8'" ; girth round 

 neck 2 inches, behind head 2" 5'" ;• greatest depth of body (5 inches 

 before tail) 1" 8'"; greatest thickness at last-mentioned point 6'"; 

 thickness at upper margin of lower third in same locality 3'" ; thick- 

 ness at ventral margin 3" 2'"; snout to occiput 11'"; breadth across 

 gape / . 



Hab. Puri, Cuttack. 



Hydrophis viperina, Schmidt ; Gthr. 1. c, p. 37S. 



I have received a specimen of this snake, also from Puri, with 

 thirty-two rows of scales round the neck and witli 2ti8 ventrals. 

 The first thirty-five or forty ventrals are six times as large as the 

 adjoining scales. Beyond these the ventrals decrease in size, and 

 ultimately are not much larger than ordinary scales. The third 

 labial does not reach the orbit, below which are the fourth and fifth 

 lip-shields. The latter labial and the sixth and seventh are trans- 

 versely divided, as is also the first large temporal on the right side. 

 The nasals are broader posteriorly than they are long ; and the 

 dimensions of the vertical in these directions hold a similar relation 

 to each other. Two posterior temporals. Scales keeled. The 

 upper surface of the head and of the body generally is dark olive, 

 without any trace of spots or markings of any kind ; and the sides, 

 upper lips, and under surface are yellowish. Length 29f inches, of 

 which the tail is 3 inches ; snout to occiput -f inch ; breadth across 

 gape | inch ; breadth in a line with posterior margin of nasals 

 ■| inch. 



I have received another specimen, which appears to be the young 

 of this species. It measures 13| inches, of which the tail forms 



