LATICAUDA 227 



Color. — "Dark brown above, with cross-bands of yellow, 

 black-edged scales, often broken up on the vertebral line; these 

 bands widening towards the belly, which is yellow, with or 

 without dark brown spots." 



Measurements of Aipysurus eydouxii (Gray). 



mm. 

 Total lengrth 490 



Snout to vent 420 



Tail 70 



Variation. — Wall adds the following characters : Rostral 

 touches 4 shields, the portion visible above about half the inter- 

 nasal suture. Prefrontals not in contact with supralabials, 

 usually undivided, but sometimes divided longitudinally on one 

 or both sides into two parts; the sutures of frontal subequal, 

 one-third or one-fourth longer than supraoculars, longer than 

 parietals ; parietals undivided or divided ; nasals touch 2 supra- 

 labials; fourth lower labial largest; 2 pairs of chin shields, the 

 second pair separated by a single scale; ventrals from 138 to 

 142, three or more times the width of outer scale row. 



Remarks. — This species is rare in the Philippines. I have 

 seen no specimen. Both Boulenger and Wall give the Philip- 

 pines as part of its range, and the species is included in the 

 present work on their authority. 



Genus LATICAUDA laurenti 



Laticauda Laurenti, Syn. Rept. (1768) 109; Stejneger, Bull. U. S. 

 Nat, Mus. 58 (1907) 402. 



Hydnis, part., Schneider, Hist. Amph. 1 (1799) 233. 



Platurus Lateeille, Hist. Nat. Rept. 4 (1802) 183; Daudin, Rept, 

 7 (1803) 223; Wagler, Syst. Amph. (1830) 166; Dumeril and 

 BiBRON, Erp. Gen. 7 (1854) 1318; Fischer, Abh. Natur. Hamburg 

 3 (1856) 27; Jan, Elenco Sist. Ofid. (1863) 108; Gunther, Rept. 

 Brit. India (1864) 855; Boettger, Ber. Senck. Nat. Ges. (1886) 

 118; Boulenger, Fauna Brit. India, Rept. (1890) 394; Cat. Snakes 

 Brit. Mus. 3 (1896) 306; Casto de Elera, Cat. Fauna Filipinas 1 

 (1S95) 442. 



Hydrophis, part., Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 2 (1837) 488. 



"Maxillary much shorter than the ectopterygoid, extending 

 forwards beyond the palatine, with two large poison-fangs; 

 one or two small solid teeth near the posterior extremity of the 

 maxillary. Head-shields large; nostrils lateral, the nasals 

 separated by internasals ; prseocular present ; no loreal. Body 

 much elongate ; scales smooth and imbricate ; ventrals and sub- 

 caudals large." {Boulenger.) 



