228 SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



Stejueger '■'■' recognizes provisionally five species of the genus, 

 while Wall f recognizes but three. Three species are found in 

 the Philippines. 



Key to the PhiliiJpine species of Laticauda Laurenti. 



a\ Rostral not divided horizontally; belly without median keel. 



b\ Two prefrontals; scales in 19 rows.. L. laticaudata (Linnjeus) (p. 228). 

 b\ Three prefrontals; scales in 21 to 25 rows. 



L. colubrina (Schneider) (p. 231). 

 a\ Rostral divided horizontally; belly with median keel on posterior half. 



L. seniifasciata (Reinwardt) (p. 234). 



I disagree with Barbour's t opinion that the first two should 

 be regarded as subspecies of a single species. Besides the al- 

 most constant variation of certain scale elements, the fact should 

 not be overlooked that L. colubrina apparently grows to nearly 

 double the size of L. laticaudata. 



LATICAUDA LATICAUDATA (Linnaeus) 



Coluber loMcaudaius Linnaeus, Mus. Ad. Frid. (1754) 31, pi. 16, 

 fig. 1; Syst. Nat. ed. 10 1 (1758) 222; ed. 12 1 (1766) 383; An- 

 derson, Bihang Svensk. Vet. Akad. Handl. IV 24 (189rf, IS. 



Laticauda scutata Laueenti, Syn. Rept. (1768) lOi). 



Platurus fasclatus Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rept. 4 ^1802) 185; Fischer, 

 Abh. Natur. Ver. Hamburg 3 (1856) 28; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ak. 

 (1861) 691; (1872) 860; Hallowell, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- 

 delphia (1860) 493; Boulengee, Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1887) 

 149. 



Hydrophis colubrinus, part., Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 2 (1837) 514. 



Platurus laticaudatus Girard, Herp. U. S. Expl. Exp. (1858) ISO; 

 Peters, Mon. Berl. Ak. (1877) 417; Boettger, Ber. Senck. Nat. 

 Ges. (1886) 118; Boulenger, Fauna Brit. India, Rept. (1890) 

 395, text fig; Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 (1896) 307; Casto de Elera, 

 Cat. Fauna Filipinas 1 (1895) 442; Wall, Proc. Zool. Soc. London 

 (1903) 96 and 101; Mem. As. Soc. Bengal 2 (1907-10) 185. 



Platurus laurenti Rafinesque, Am. Month. Mag. 1 (1817) 432. 



Coluber platicoMdatus Oken, AUgem. Naturg. 8 (1836) 566. 



Platurus laticauAatus var. A., Gunthee, Cat. Col. Snakes (1858) 

 272. 



Platurus fischeri jAN, Rev. Mag. Zool. (1S59) 149; Icon. Ophid. 40 

 (1872) pi. 1, fig. 2; GiJNTHER, RepL Brit. India (1864) 356, 

 pi. 25, fig. A; Anderson, Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1871) 189; 

 Fayeer, fhanatoph. Ind. (1874) pi. 19. 



Platm~us affinis Anderson, Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1871) 190. 



* Loc. cit 



fWall, Mem. As. Soc. Bengal 2 (1907-10) 107, states that the sup- 

 posedly solid teeth really have very small grooves. 



J Barbour, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard Coll. 44 (1912) 131. 



