MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 375 



Hydrophis gracilis (Shaw). 



This common species is rather poorly represented. There are but six 

 specimens, of which one young one is shrivelled and another young one 

 sodden. There are three good adults, the largest 2 feet 10 inches long: 

 the smallest specimen measures 1-3 inches. The head shields show 

 remarkable constancy in their detail. The post-maxillary teeth are usually 

 o, in one example 6. 



Hydrophis cantoris (Gunther). 



Not well represented though such a common snake. There is no large 

 specimen. The head shields are very constant except in the case of 

 No. 841, where the proefrontals are confluent with the supraoculars. The 

 teeth in the maxilla usually 5, are in one example 6. 



Hydrophis fasciatus (Schneider). 



There are only two representatives of this common snake, both from 

 Madras, and it would appear to be far less common on the Malabar Coast 

 than the Coromandel. Both are adults, the largest 2' feet 9^^ inches in 

 length, and one is specially interesting in that it is a gravid female, but 

 unfortunately there is no record of the date of its capture. It measure? 

 2 feet 7 inches. Only two embryos imperfectly developed were found ii 

 abdomina." The postmaxillary teeth are 6 in both specimens. 



Hydrophis ornatus (Grey). 



There are two specimens only of this uncommon snake, one Indian and 

 one from the Loo Choo Islands. The 5th and 6th labials are divided in 

 both. One specimen is a gravid female (date of capture not known), and 

 this contained 3 eggs with no trace of embryos within. One has 40 and 

 the other 48 dorsal bars fading about midcosta. The maxillary teeth are 

 10 in one example^ 11 ii7 the other. 



Hydrophis brugmansi (Boie). 



This common species is but poorly represented, there being but six 

 specimens, one of which is shrivelled. The black bands from 36 to 44 in 

 number, dilate vertebrally, and in the older specimens fade about midcosta 

 to a much lighter hue, still being apparent however. Costally they are half 

 or even less than half the intervals, and in one specimen there is an almost 

 perfect series of vertebral spots in the spaces [spiralis (Shaw)]. In most of 

 the specimens the very deep temporal comes to the border of the lip, in 

 other words is confluent with the 6th labial. A distinct but small 6th 

 labial is present in three specimens on one or both sides. The maxillary 

 teeth, usually 7 in number, are 6 in one example. 



Hydrophis cyanocinctxjs (Daudin). 



There are 15 specimens of this very common snake. One of these 

 (No. 851) is specially interesting, in that it is a gravid female, btit no 

 record of its date of capture is available. It measures 4 feet 4 inches, and 

 contained 9 foetuses, seemingly ready to be born, which I extracted. Four 

 of these are males and five females, and they vary from 12 to 13 inches in 

 length. The arrangement of the labials, postoculars and temporals is 

 siibject to great variation in this species, as is exemplified by the figures 

 produced. There are usually 5 entire labials, the 3rd, 4th and 5th border- 

 ing the eye. I regard the 6th and 7th as divided into an upper and lower 



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