374 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXlll. 



No. XXXIV.— REMARKS ON THE SEA-SNAKES IN OUR 

 SOCIETY'S COLLECTION. 



With 2 Plates. 



I have lately examined all the species of the sub-family HydropMnice 

 in our Society's Collection, which are as follows : — 



Hydbus platurus (Linne). 



Represented by ten specimens, six of which are small, and not in a very 

 good state. All are from Madras, or the neighbourhood of Bombay, the 

 smallest measure lOf and 11 f inches respectively. In six specimens 

 examined the post-maxillary teeth are 8 in one, 9 in three, and 10 in two. 

 The supralabials and temporals are subject to great variation. Most of 

 these specimens belong to " variety " bicoloy (Schneider), and one such 

 appears to be an albino, the dorsal band being hardly discernible. The 

 lower margin of the dorsal band is festooned behind in one, and this may 

 be considered a transitional form approaching "variety" maculata (Jan). 

 One from jBombay exhibits a series of subcostal spots behind, thus agreeing 

 with the " variety " C of Mr. Boulenger's Catalogue. 



Figs. 1 and 2 show two variations, in I, I think, the long shield beneath 

 the eye is formed by a confluence of the upper parts of the 4th, 5th and 

 6th labials. In Fig. 2 similarly the shield beneath the eye seems to me 

 formed by a confluence of the 4th and 5th. The upper part of the 6th 

 failing to blend with them. 



HYDjaoPHis ciEP.ULESCENS (Shaw). 



There are six good specimens, all adult. One of these is from Madras 

 and the rest from the coast about Bombay. All are typically rough from 

 the strong keels on the scales. The teeth in the maxilla are usually 14, in 

 one 13. 



Hydkophis MAMILLAE.I8 (Daudiu). 



S'our adult specimens of this rare species are to be found on our Society's 

 shelves, and all in excellent preservation. There are usually 4, sometime? 

 5 entire labials. The 5th and 6th re usually divided or sometimes the 6th 

 only, and rarely the upper part of the 6th is confluent with the temporal. 

 The neck is one-third or less than one-third the deepest part of the body 

 behind in all the specimens, and in the gravid female nearer one-fourth. 

 The gravid female (unfortunately without any record date of capture) 

 measuring 2 feet 8f inches, contained three foetuses, and a small infertile 

 egg. The foetuses, all females, are perfectly formed, and obviously would 

 have been very shortly born. They measure from 12 to I2| inches. The 

 head in all is quite black, and the black bands vary from 43 to 56. The 

 bands in most are complete and discrete or thinly connected below along 

 the ventral shields behind. At midcosta they are as broad or broader than 

 the spaces. In the largest specimen the bands are obsolete subcostally 

 and converted into cross-bars. The teeth in the maxilla are 9 or 10. Fig. 

 3 shows the usual arrangement of shields. Fig. 4 (the right side of the 

 same specimen as fig. 3) shows the upper part of the 6th labial confluent 

 with the temporal. Fig. 5 shows a confluence between the lower postocular 

 and the upper part of the 5th labial. 



Hydrophis coronatus (Gunther). 



Two well grown adult specimens are included in the collec'ion, both from 

 Karwar. They are very typical of the species, which for a marine form 

 shows unusual constancy in the arrangement of its head shields. The teeth 

 in the maxilla are 5 in both examples. 



