516 ON SNAKES FROM JAPAN AND THE LOO CHOO ISLANDS. [Dec. 12, 



are 204 + 28, 183 + 28, 194 + 30, 202+?, 197 + 27, 129 + 29. 

 Two specimens from Amami agreed in having three longitudinal 

 dorsal, black lines, narrower than the pink intervals. One of 

 these had indications of another line in the flanks on each side. 

 One had 12 and the other 14 black annuli. Both were peculiar in 

 that the last ventral was divided, a condition which obtains in no 

 other specimen, and this may constitute a separate species. The 

 ventrals and subcaudals were 208 + 29 and 198 + 28. The remaining 

 two specimens from Amami were pale pink with a single, nai'row, 

 vertebral black line. One had 15 and the other 13 black annuli, 

 and the ventrals and subcaudals were 215 + 28 and 2 1 4 + 30. One 

 of the Okinawa examples had swallowed a lizard measuring 

 4g inches. The snake was 1 foot 7| inches in length, and the 

 lizard occupied a position entirely posterior to the tenth inch in 

 the snake's length. The stomach was therefore placed unusually 

 far back in this species, and I have noticed a similar peculiarity 

 in an allied snake, Bungarus candidus, in India. 



Family V i p e r i d .e, ^Sv^bfamily Crotalin^e. 



8. Lachesis okinavensis. — Of eight specimens four were from 

 Okinawa, three from Amami, and one from Yaku. The scales were 

 23 in mid-body in all except one specimen, where they were 24. 

 The subocular was broken up in two specimens. The ventrals and 

 subcaudals were 131+44, 134 + 46, 127 + 42, 128 + 46, 128 + 46, 

 and 129 + 42. One had swallowed a small shrew-like animal. 



9. Lachesis flavoviridis. — Of 41 specimens, 21 were from 

 Amami and 20 from Okinawa. The ventrals were 232 in one 

 specimen, 234 in another. The scales were 40 in mid-body in one 

 specimen. Many were quite young, hatchlings apparently ; six 

 such varied in length from 1 foot 6| inches to 1 foot 9| inches. 

 One had swallowed a rat. The fang of one large specimen was 

 i|-" measured straight. 



10. Lachesis mucrosquamatus. — Of four specimens, three were 

 from Miyako and one from Iriomote. I have no hesitation in con- 

 sidering these specimens as belonging to this species, though it 

 extends the habitat considerably. They agreed with the specimens 

 I have examined in the British Museum Collection. A pair of 

 internasals was present. Two to four rows of temporals were 

 smooth. The scales were 23 in mid-body in two specimens, 24 in 

 another, and 25 in the fourth. The ventrals and subcaudals were 

 186 + 66, 190? + 77, and 185 + 72. 



Sea Snakes. 

 Family Oolubrid^. Subfamily Hydrophiin^. 



1. Hydrus platurus. — One specimen of Boulenger's Variety E 

 [op. cit. vol. iii. p. 268) was from Okinose Sagami (Hondo). 



2. Hydrophis melanocephalus. — Of three examples two were 



