232 SNAKES OP THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



postmental; lower labials small, usually not visible externally, 

 only first 2 touching anterior pair of chin shields, which are 

 smaller than second pair ; 10 rows of scales between chin shields 

 and first widened ventral; eye small, much less than its distance 

 from nostril ; scales in 23 to 25 rows around body, smooth, with- 

 out apical pits ; ventrals, 234 ; subcaudals, 35 ; anal divided, pre- 

 ceded by a second divided scale; tail strongly compressed, end- 

 ing in a large scute. 



Color in life. — Above, blue traversed by 42 black bands, 

 about 4 scales wide, on back, and covering only 1 or 2 ventrals 

 below, separated from each other by interspaces, 5 or 6 scales 

 wide; tail with 4 bands, the last much widened. Head with a 

 broad black spot ; a broad black stripe on side ; anterior part 

 yellowish, with a yellow streak above eye to some distance on 

 temporal region ; a yellow stripe on lower part of upper labials 

 and at angle of mouth ; a broad black stripe from end of chin 

 along each side of neck to third ventral, separated from its 

 fellow by a broad median yellow stripe. 



Measurements of Laticauda cohibrina (Schneider.) 



mm. 



Total length 1,390 



Snout to vent 1,275 



Tail 115 



Width of head 29 



Length of head 32 



Depth of tail, greatest 31 



Variation. — Males differ from females in having longer and 

 thicker tails, not so strongly compressed at base, rather more 

 triangular in cross section, and with an average of 9 more sub- 

 caudals; in medium-sized specimens, the ventrals have a double 

 row of keels, nearly the same ventral average, with notches 

 on anterior part of each scute. The range of ventral counts in 

 the Philippine specimens examined is from 229 to 248; of the 

 subcaudal from 34 to 47; the scale rows vary between 23 and 

 25, most of the specimens having 23 rows on anterior part of 

 body and 25 beyond the middle of the widest part ; in all speci- 

 mens the ventral preceding anal is divided. The lower labials 

 are bent over edge of mouth and lie for the most part hori- 

 zontally; the mental is extremely small, the first pair of labials 

 not or but barely touching a small azygous postmental. This 

 scale is distinct in all save two specimens, in which it is fused 

 with first labial. The number of black bands around body and 

 tail varies between 43 and 59, the average being 49. In color 

 most of the specimens are dark to grayish blue above barred 



