330 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



figure-of-8 central tubercles ; in 17 to 21 (usually 19) rows two 

 heads -lengths behind the head ; 26 to 32 in midbody ; and 27 

 to 35 two heads-lengths before the vent. The tubercles are 

 specially pronounced in old males. Ventrals : 217 to 290 ; 

 entire ; about twice the breadth of the last costaJs anteriorly ; 

 divided in the median line to form two apposed pentagons ; 

 each half about as broad as the last costals posteriorly ; each 

 divided half with twin spines directed backwards, and 

 specially prominent in old males. Anal : Variable. 



(6) Anomalies — Prefrontals : Rarely fail to meet the 2nd 

 supralabial. 



Dentition. — From two skulls in my collection. Maxilla : 

 Postnodal, 5 to 6. Palatine : 8. Pterygoid : 9 to 12. 

 Mandibular : 12 to 13. 



Distribution. — (a) General : From the Persian Gulf to the 

 Malay Peninsula. 



(b) Local : From available records it appears uncommon 

 in the Persian Gulf. On the Malabar Coast of India it is a 

 fairly common species, and on the Coromandel Coast one of the 

 commonest of hydrophids. In Madras I got 29 specimens in 

 1917 out of a total of 192. I found four in the Colombo 

 Museum when I examined their collection. It is rare on the 

 Burmese Coast and further East. Evans and I failed to 

 secure a specimen from Burma, and the Indian Museum 

 contains but one from the Mergui Archipelago. Annandale 

 and Robinson obtained one of? Patani in the Malay Peninsula, 

 which was erroneously reported a wrayi by Boulenger (Fasc. 

 Malay, 1903, p. 167). I pointed out the mistake in my 

 Monograph (Mem. Asiat. Soc, Bengal, 1909, p. 213), which 

 was acknowledged by Boulenger later (Faun. Malay Peninsula, 

 1912, p. 192). 



Microcephalophis cantoris Gunther. 

 (Named after Dr. Cantor.) 

 Cantor's Seasnake. 

 Synonymy. — Liopala fasciata, Hydrophis fasciata, H. gra- 

 cilis, Distira gillespiss. 



History. — The type was captured by Dr. Cantor oft 

 Penang in 1847, and confused by him with gracilis (Shaw). 



