HYDROPHIS ORASSICOLLIS (N.S) Anderson. 



" Head hardly distinct from neck. Neck and body of nearly 

 equal girth throughout. Round neck, 2" 2"'; round middle of body, 

 2" 9'". Body elongated ; thirty-four series of scales round the neck ; forty 

 round the middle of the body ; scales almost smooth on the neck and 

 anterior third of the body ; two feeble keel-like tubercles, one before 

 the other, very obscure, but more strongly developed on the two posterior 

 thirds ; ventrals twice the size of the adjoining scales, quite smooth, 

 broken up here and there on the posterior five-eighths of the body. 

 Two pairs of anal-shields, the central pair of moderate size, elongated ; 

 the external pair very large. The vertical is pointedly Hnguate. One 

 prge-, and two post-oculars. The third, fourth, and fifth labials enter the 

 orbit on one side, but only the third and the fourth on the opposite 

 side ; the fifth being transversely divided into two shields, which do 

 not reach quite as high as the orbital margin. Two pairs of large chin- 

 shields, the anterior pair quadrangular and the posterior pair rather 

 elongated ; olive-yeUow above, yellowish on the scales and under 

 surface ; sixty-two broad black bands on the back contracting to a 

 point on the sides, but prolonged very indistinctly on to them and the 

 ventral aspect, where they expand as a large blackish spot. Near the 

 tail the dorsal bands become connected together, and their continuations 

 on the ventral aspect follow a similar arrangement. Six black rings on 

 the tail, confluent below ; the latter third entirely black. Hooghly, 

 below Calcutta. Length (total) 4 feet, 5" 6'", tail 4" 3'". The 

 peculiarity of this species is its elongated body, the uniform breadth 

 which it preserves throughout its length and the enlarged and smooth 

 ventrals," It is found in the tidal streams near Calcutta (Fayrer). 



