148 MR. F. E. BEDDARD OX THE VISCERAL [Juue 7, 



The location of the diftevent organs of the body and the lengths 

 of some of them in relation to the total length of the body differ 

 in this sei-pent from the corresponding situation and measurements, 

 of Hydrus 2)latyurus, which are placed side by side for the pur- 

 poses of easier comparison. 



P. coluhrlnus. H. platyurus. 



Length of body to vent 14 inches. 23 indies. 



From tip of snout to base of 



lieart 5| inches. 5 inches. 



From tip of snout to anteiioi- 



end of liver 5| inches. 6 indies. 



From apex of heart to anteiior 



end of liver ■ • h inch. \ inch. 



Length of liver Sf inches. 3 inches. 



Posterioi' end of liver to gall- 

 bladder I inch. 1 i inclies. 



Posterior end of liver to 



anterior end of kidneys ... 1| (R), 2^ (L). 7^ (L), 7 (R). 



Length of kidneys h inch , h inch . 2 1, 2 1. 



Posterior end of kidneys to 



vent li(R),|(L). 3i(R), 2|(L). 



It is plain fi'om these measui-ements that the situs viscemm 

 shows important differences in the rei^i-esentatives of the two 

 Hydrophiine genera. In Hydras the heart is placed much further 

 forward, i. e. the neck is shortei- than in Platyvrus, and the 

 kidneys of the latter are relatively furthei' from the posterior end 

 of the body. In both, the anterior end of the liver lies close 

 behind the heart, as is the case in Viperine serpents, a fact also 

 noted by Cantor in the species dissected by him. 



Alimentary viscera. — The liver is long and thin, and thus 

 characteristically Ophidian. It is very long compared with that of 

 Hydrus, measuiing as it does about one-fifth of the total body- 

 length (including the tail), oi' neaily one-foui'th if the tail be 

 omitted. Taking the length of the body (to the vent) as 100 in 

 all cases, the following are the proportions of the liver in a 

 numbei' of serpents. 



Zamenis Jiagelliformis, 19^. Hydrm platyaras, \i\. 



„ \jem.onensis, 1^\. Python sjnlotes, \5^^. 



Coronella getula, 23|. Eryx jaculus, 2^. 



Cohiber melanoleucus, 18|. „ conicus, 21^. 



Tarbophis obtusus, 21|. ffeterodon platyrhinus, 22^. 



■ Naia tripudians, 11^. , Boa constrictor, 17^. 



0]ihio2)hagus bungarus, 24|. 

 Platynrus coraUinus, 21^. 



Causus rhornbeatus, 23^. 

 Liohe terodon m adagasaari- 

 ensis, 201, 



The livei' shows a peculiarity not without interest, which has 

 been also figured and referred to by Dr. Cantor* in the Sea-Snake 

 dissected bv hipi. In Platyuj^trs, however, this character— the 



* Loc. cif. 



