1901.] REPTILES OF THE " SKEAT EXPEDITION." 579 



Faun. Brit. Ind., Eeptiles, p. 371 ; S. S. Flower, P. Z. S. 1896, 

 p. 890 ; id. P. Z. S. 1899, p. 682. 



Malay name " Ular jelotong" (" jelotong-colouved snake ")\ 



Var. A. 1 from Biserafc. 



1 from Penang. 

 Var. D. 1 from Singgora. 



3 from Naun Chik, 



Series Proteroglypha. 

 Subfam. Hydrophin.e. 



All the sea-snakes mentioned below were collected by Mr. 

 Annandale at Patani from the seine-nets of the fisher-folk, with 

 the exception of two, which he picked up on the beach at Singgora. 

 The collection at Patani was made within a week, and the large 

 numbers of some of the commoner species, especially Enhydrina 

 valaJcadien, show how very numerous these creatures are in the 

 Malayan waters. A single specimen of a species hitherto un- 

 described, to which I have given the name of Distira annandalei, is 

 of interest on account of the way in which the scales on the head 

 are subdivided, and also because of the great number of rows of 

 f-cales round the body ; in these respects it is the most specialized 

 member of the genus known. The water from which these 

 specimens from Patani were taken was fresh to the taste. The 

 Malays informed Mr. Annandale that during the monsoon, when 

 the salt water is blown across the bar and into the estuary of the 

 river, they are far more poisonous than at other times. Three 

 men were said to have died from bites of sea-snakes recently in a 

 single monsoon-season. They are so abundant that one or more 

 are taken in every haul of the net. The native name for the 

 snakes belonging to this family is "Ular berang," or " gerang," and 

 sometimes the rough-keeled larger species are known as " Ular 

 gelireh." 



33. Hydeophis nigrocinctus Daud. 



34. Distira ornata (Gray). 



35. Distira jerdonii (Gray). 



Distira jerdonii, Bouleuger, Cat. Snakes, iii. p. 229 ; S. S. Flower, 

 P. Z. S. 1899, p. 688. 



Several specimens of this very handsome species were collected. 

 It appears to be rare. 



36. Distira wrati Bouleuger. 



37. Distira annandalei, sp. n. (Plate XXXV. fig. 1 a, b.) 



Body short, much compressed; head moderate; scales juxtaposed, 



^ The "jelotong" is a kind of tree with slate-coloured bark; = Dj/era 

 maingayi or D. costulata. — F. F. L. 



