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DISTEIRA 237 



Liupatu- Gray, Zool. Misc. (1842) 60. 

 Aturia Gray, Zool. Misc. (1842) 61. 

 Noterophis Gistel, Naturg. Thierr. (1884) ix. 

 Clutulia Gray, Cat. Vip. Snakes (1849) 56. 

 Kerilia Gray, Cat. Vip. Snakes (1849) 57. 



Thalassophis Schmidt, Abh. Natur. Ver. Hambiug 2 (1852) 75. 

 Distira Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 32 (1887) 61; Boulenger, Cat. 

 Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 (1896) 285. 



Maxillary longer than ectopterygoid, not extending forward 

 as far as palatine; poison fangs large, followed by several 

 grooved teeth ; anterior mandibular teeth sometimes grooved ; 

 head usually smaller than body ; nostrils superior, valved, pierced 

 in a single nasal, which is in contact with its fellow; head shields 

 large; preoeular present; loreal usually absent; body long, 

 slender anteriorly, frequently compressed; ventrals more or less 

 distinct; always small. 



There are few if any greater problems in herpetology than 

 the proper classification of sea snakes, particularly those belong- 

 ing to the genus Distelra. Boulenger * divided the group into 

 two genera, Hydrophis and Distira, recognizing in all forty 

 species out of a total of nearly ninety described forms. Wall,t 

 whose monograph on sea snakes appeared in 1911, fifteen years 

 after Boulenger's work, relegates tiiirty-nine of the species, rec- 

 ognized by Boulenger, under a series of seventeen species of the 

 genus Distira and one to a different genus, and adds to his list 

 two other species, one of whicli (Distira neglccta) he himself 

 described, and the other (Distira ocellata) is from a synonym 

 of Boulenger's Distira ornata. Other species have since been 

 described. It is obvious that the status of species of this genus 

 is rather unstable. 



Just how many species should be included in the Philippine 

 fauna is a matter of considerable doubt. Hydropliis abbrevia- 

 tus Jan, H. brevis Jan, and H. loreata are all referable to Lapemis 

 hardwickii Gray. Hydrophis semperi Garman and Hydrophis 

 westermanni Jan are very probably referable to Disteira cyano- 

 cincta; and Disteira loiigiceps, recorded by Griffin from Manila 

 Bay, is probably Disteira ornata. Thus we are left with six 

 species reported as occurring in the Philippines. These are 

 Disteira fasciata, D. eiiicinnatii, D. ornata, D. cyanociueta, D. 

 spiralis, and D. cyanosonm. 



I strongly suspect that Peters's record of Hydrophis fasciatus 

 will have to be referred to Disteira cincinnatii, as has been done 



* Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 (1896) 271-299. 

 tMem. As. Soc. Bengal 2 (1911) 169-251. 



