430 SNAKES OF CEYLON. 



Costal? : Rectiform, broader than long, rounded apically, 

 imbricate and smooth everywhere. Vertebral row not 

 enlarged, except where the costals are 17. In 19 rows two 

 heads -lengths bahind the head ; 19 in midbody ; 19 or 17 two 

 heads -lengths b afore the vent. Ventrals : 210 to 246. Very 

 broad, fully three times that of the ultimate row of costals ; 

 with a more or less distinct lateral obtuse keel on the basal 

 half of each shield ; sometimes with an obtuse median keel in 

 the posterior part of the body. The last frequently divided. 

 Anal : As broad as the ventrals ; divided. Subcaudals : 25 

 to 47. 



(6) Anomalies — Supralabials : Rarely eight ; sometimes the 

 3rd fails to touch the nasals ; rarely the 4th touches the eye. 

 Infralabials : The 3rd sometimes is cut off from the margin 

 of the lip by cuneate scales. 



Dentition. — From one skull in my collection. Maxillary : 

 Postnodal teeth, 1. Palatine : 5. Maxillary : 16 to 17. 

 Mandibular : 12. 



Distribution. — (a) General: Bay of Bengal from Calcutta 

 through the Malayan region, China, Loo Choo Archi- 

 pelago, Philippines to New Guinea the South Pacific Islands 

 (Fiji, Friendly, and Society), and Australia (Tasmania). 



(b) Local : It has never been recorded from Ceylon, but 

 I have already given my reason for including it in the Ceylon 



list. 



On the Indian shores it is evidently extremely rare. The 

 only records are one killed in Tolly's Nullah, Calcutta, and one 

 collected by General Hardwicke. The former was preserved 

 in the Indian Museum, Calcutta (No. 8,289), and was the 

 subject figured by Fayrer (Thanatophidia, Plate XIX.). The 

 latter, with no precise information as to habitat, is in the 

 British Museum. 



Of the many hundreds of Indian seasnakes that have passed 

 through my hands no single specimen proved to be this species. 

 It seems probable that it is only an accidental visitor to the 



