1903. ] SNAKES OF CHINA AND JAPAN. 95 
Museum and one in the Shanghai Museum. Subcandals 144 in 
one specimen, 
69. Arpysurnus ANNULATUS. Loyalty Islands, Loo Choos, Seas 
around Formosa (Stejneger) *. 
70, Hyprus prarurus. Obok, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Straits 
of Malacca, Tropical and Subtropical Pacific from Loo Choo to 
Australia and New Zealand, Malay Archipelago to Central 
America,—TI saw two specimens in the City Hall Museum from 
Hongkong and Formosa, and one in the Shanghai Museum. Also 
two or three specimens in Mr. Owston’s collection in Yokohama, 
obtained from the Japanese shores or the Loo Choos. All belong to 
variety E of the British Museum Catalogue of Snakes. Frontal: 
length less than distance to end of snout in one specimen, less than 
parietals in two, Labials nine on one side in two specimens ; none 
bordering the eye on one side in two specimens. Anal tetrafid. 
71. AcAtypropnis Peroni. Western Tropical Pacific. 
72. Hyproruis rascratus. Coasts of India to China and New 
Guinea. 
73. HypROPHIS GRACILIS, Coasts from Persia to China. 
Hainan (//erz). 
74, Hypropnis MELANOCEPHALUS. Indian Ocean, Pescadores, 
(Stejneger)*, Loo Choos. 
75. Hyproruis ogscurus. Bay of Bengal to China. Canton 
(Peters) *. 
76. Distrra stoKesit. Mekran Coast to Chinese Sea and North 
Coast of Australia. 
77. DistrrA oRNATA. Coasts of Asia from mouth of Persian 
Gulf to Loo Choos, New Guinea, and N. Australia.—This snake 
evidently is common in the Loo Choos, as I saw more than twenty 
specimens from that region in Mr. Owston’s collection. 
78. Distira suscincra, Indian Ocean, Japan, Loo Choos 
(Stejneger)*. 
1 Stejneger (Journ. Se. Coll. Tokyo, xii. 1898-1900, p. 223) deseribes as a new 
species under the name of Hmydocephalus ijime certain specimens, the description of 
which I have consulted My. Boulenger about; and he is of opinion that these will be 
found to be specimens of Aipysurus annulatus. The enlarged vertebralsand presence 
of four prefrontals, found in these specimens, were also present in some specimens 
I examined belonging to Mr. Owston in Yokohama, which I regarded at the time as 
annulatus. An examination of the specimens in the British Museum shows that a 
certain slight enlargement of the vertebrals is present at some spots, but no specimen 
has four priefrontals. The weight of such an opinion compels me to modify the views 
1 had formed on the subject. 
2 J. Coll. Japan, xii. p. 224 (Mierocephalophis melanocephalus). 
3 Monatsb. Berlin. Akad. 1872, p. 859 (#1. diadema). 
+ Stejneger (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. xiv. p. 191, 1901) deseribes certain specimens 
obtained from the Riu Kiu Seas as Distira orientalis, which he considers a new 
species. From his description I am of opinion that these belong to D. subeineta. 
