SNAKES OF CEYLON. 401 



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

 Postnodal, 3 to 5 ; isodont. " Palatine : 5 to 6 ; anododont, 

 isodont ; a short edentulous space posteriorly that would 

 accommodate one tooth. Pterygoid : 15 to 16 ; anododont, 

 feebly scaphiodont ; one-third edentulous posteriorly . Mandi- 

 bular : 16 ; anododont, scaphiodont. 



There is one species, viz., 



Enhydrina valakadyen (Boie).* 



(Borrowed from the vernacular name " valakadyen," 



which Russell stated was used by native 



fishermen on the Coromandel Coast.) 



The Jew's-nosed or Bote's Seasnake. 



Tamil : " valakadyen " (Russell) (" valla " strong, "kadyen" 

 biter). Bengali : " Hoogly pattee " (Russell) about the 

 Sunderbunds. 



Synonymy. — Hydrus valakadyen, H. schistosus, Disteira 

 russelii, Polyodontes annulatus, Hydrophis schistosa, H. benga 

 lensis, H. fasciatus, H. subfasciata, Enhydrina bengalensis, E 

 schistosa, Pelamis schistosus. 



History.— Figured by Russell in 1801 on Plates X. and XI 

 of his second volume. Christened by Daudin in 1803 as 

 schistosa {vide footnote). What I take to be the type I 

 discovered in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, 

 London (No. 523). It appears to me the specimen from 

 Tranquebar figured by Russell on Plate XI. of his second 

 volume, and was one of the collection presented by the East 

 India Company to the above institution, most of which has 

 since been transferred to the British Museum. 



General Characters. — A snake of fair proportions growing 

 to 4 J feet. Head large, moderately long, little depressed, skin 



* I do not cod cur with Boulenger in thinking Plate X. of Russell's 

 second volume a distinct species from Plate XI. I agree with those 

 berpetologists, and they are many, who think that the figure on Plate 

 X. represents the same species as Plate XI. If this opinion is correct, 

 this snake should be known by the name schistosa given it by Daudin 

 in 1803, while Boie's name valakadyen dating from 1827 should be 

 suppressed. I prefer, however, to retain the title with which all have 

 been familiar for so many years. 



