344 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



of Penang. Further, I have never examined any snake from 

 the Indian Coasts that fits the description given by Boulenger 

 (Fauna Malay Penin, 1912, p. 190). 



Genus ATURIA. 



(Der. not known to me.) 



General Characters. — Length rather small. One of the five 

 very slender -necked species. The diameter of the neck about 

 one -third to one -fourth that of the extreme depth posteriorly. 



Cranial Osteological Characters. — Nasals : Sutured to pre- 

 frontals and frontal ; as long as the frontal. Prefrontals : 

 Not meeting parietal or postfrontals. Frontal : As broad as 

 long ; meeting postfrontals at rim of orbit. Parietal : With 

 no keel inferiorly. Quadrate : Vertical ; extreme length 

 superiorly, equal to its depth. Maxilla : Not extending 

 beyond palatine anteriorly, but extending beyond palatine 

 posteriorly. 



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

 Postnodal, 5 to 6 ; isodont. Palatine : 7 to 8 ; anododont, 

 isodont ; no edentulous space posteriorly. Pterygoid : 8 to 

 10 ; anododont, isodont ; posterior half edentulous. Mandi 

 bular : 13 to 15 ; anododont, feebly scaphiodont. 



There is only one species, viz., fasciata. 



Aturia fasciata (Schneider). 



(Latin " fascia tus " banded.) 



Schneider's Seasnake. 



Tamil : " miJagu kadyen " (pepper biter) (Henderson).* 



Synonymy. — Hydrus fasciatus, Pelamis fasciatus, Hydrophis 

 gracilis, H. obscura, H. lindsaya, H. atriceps, H. melanocinctus, 

 H. cantoris, H. leptodira, H. brookii, Aturia lindsayi, Disteira 

 fasciata, B. rhombifer. 



* One of the snakes, I am told by Dr. Henderson* that the fishermen 

 about Madras attach this name to, the head being fancifully likened 

 to a peppercorn. 



