DISTEIEA 245 



Remarks. — -This species is common in Manila Bay, where it 

 is known as tnalahasahan and calahucab. It feeds for the most 

 part on eels. Specimens kept in the Bureau of Science aquarium 

 when very hungry will eat small dead fish. They rarely live 

 more than three months in captivity. 



The species is poisonous, probably deadly to man. Kno\vn 

 from Manila Bay and Palawan. Widely distTibuted from south- 

 eastern Asia throughout the Malay Archipelago. 



DISTEIRA CYANOCINCTA (Daudin) 



Hydrophis cyanocinctiis Daudin, Hist. Nat. Rept. 7 (180.3) 383; 



Peters, Mon. Berl. Ak. (1872) 852, pi. 1, fig. 2; Fayrer, Thanatoph. 



Ind. (1874) pi. 23; Murr.ay, Zool. Sind. (1884) 391; Boettger, 



Oflfenb. Ver. Nat. (1888) 89. 

 Leioselasma striata Lacepede, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 4 (1804) 198, 



210, pi. 57, fig. 1. 

 Enhydris cyanocinctvs Mereem, Tent. Syst. Amph. (1820) 141. 

 Enhydris striatus Merrem, Tent. Syst. Amph. (1820) 141. 

 Hydrits cyanocinctiis BoiE, Isis (1827) 354. 

 Hydrophis striata Schlegel, Fauna .Japon., Rept. (1837) 89, pi. 7; 



Phys. Serp. 2 (1837) 502, pi. 18, figs. 4 and 5; Fischer, Abh. Na- 



turw. Hamburg 3 (1856) 41; Okada, Cat. Vert. Japan (1891) 69. 

 Hydriis striatus, part., Cantor. Cat. Mai. Rept. (1847) 126. 

 Hydrophis subanmdata Gray, Cat. Vip. Snakes (1849) 54. 

 Hydrophis chittal RafinesQue, Am. Month. Mag. (1817) 432. 

 Hydrophis aspera Gray, Cat. Vip. Snakes (1849) 55; Gunthee, Rept. 



Brit. India (1864) 365. 

 Hydrophis cyanocincta, part., Gunther, Rept. Brit. India (1864) 367. 

 Hydrophis tracliyceps, Theobald, Cat. Rept. As. Soc. Mus. (1868) 70, 

 Hydrophis crassicoUis ANDERSON, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal 40 (1871) 



19. 

 Hydrophis westermanni Jan, Rev. Mag. Zool. (1859) ; Icon. Gen. 



(1872) livr. 39, pi. 5, fig. 1; Elenco Sist. Ofid. (1863) 111. 

 Hydrophis phipsoni MURRAY, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 2 (1887) 



32, pi. 

 Hydrophis (Hydrophis) cyanocinctiis Boettger, Zool. Anz. 11 (1888) 



396 (Philippines). 

 Hydrophis taproha aica Haly, Taprobanian 2 (1887) 107. 

 Distira cyanocincta Boulenger, Fauna Brit. India, Rept. (1890) 410; 



Sclater, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal 60 (1891) 247; Boettger, Ber. 



Offenb. Ver. Nat. (1892) 90; Boulenger, Cat. Snakes, Brit. Mus. 



3 (1896) 294; West, Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1895) 823, pi. 66, 



figs. 1, 8, 17; Wall, Proc. Zool, Soc, London (1903) 96, 101; Boett- 

 ger, Ber. Senck. Nat, Ges, (1898) xxxviii (1905) 170 (Philippines). 

 Disteira ryanocincta Ste.ikeger, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 58 (1907) 428; 



Proc, U", S. Nat, Mus, 38 (1911) 111, 



Descrirjfion of fipccies. — (Adult male.) Head not distinct 

 from r.eck ; rostral broad, pentagonal, well visible above, form- 

 ing nearly equal sutures with nasals and labials ; nostril pierced 



