DISTEIRA 



247 



5 bars, only the first 2 extending to underpart of tail. Head 

 greenish black, throat and neck black, the black interrupting 

 the light bars from above. 



Variation. — Variations in scale counts evident in Philippine 

 specimens are : Ventrals, 320 to 398 ; scale rows on neck, 29 to 33 ; 

 scale rows on body, 36 to 40. For extra-Philippine specimens, 

 Boulenger gives the following limits: Ventrals, 281 to 385; 

 scale rows on neck, 27 to 33; scale rows around body, 39 to 45. 



Specimen No. 798, Bureau of Science collection, has only 

 2 labials entering eye, but there is a fusion of the fourth and 

 fifth labials ; No. 800, Bureau of Science collection, has the sixth 

 labial broken, making 3 anterior temporals ; a specimen consist- 

 ing merely of the head of a very large snake has the same 

 arrangement of temporals as the preceding, only 2 labials enter 

 the eye, and there are only 7 upper labials. This head measures 

 43 millimeters in length, and 29 in width. No. 797, Bureau of 

 Science collection, has 3 anterior temporals ; the fifth labial of 

 this specimen is broken transversely, the upper part entering 

 eye. 



Table 53. — MeasureDients and scale counts of Disteira cyanocincta 



{Daudin) . 



Manila__ 

 .-__do _- 



..._do -- 

 ..__do-- 

 do __ 



Length. Tail. 



T. Bangis .._ 



do 



do 



E. H. Taylor. 



do 



do 



Ven- 

 trals. 



368 

 366 

 3.50 

 362 

 366 

 356 



Sub- 

 cau- 

 dals. 



Scale r 



Body. Neck 



31 

 29 

 30 

 28 

 29 

 28 

 81 



^j I Upper 

 '^°- labials. 



797 



798 



800 

 111)2 

 1103 

 1104 

 I, 1106 



Lower 

 labials. 



Labials 

 enter 

 eye. 



Pre- j Post- 

 oculars, oculars. 



8-7 

 7 

 7 



9-8 

 8-9 

 8-9 

 9-9 

 9-10 



3,4,5 



3,4 'l 



3,4 ll 

 3,4,5 

 3,4,6 

 3.4.6 

 3,4 

 3,4 



» Mutilated. 



Tem- 

 porals. 



Anals. Bands. 



2+2 



2-12 



3—3 

 242 



2+2 

 2 + 2 

 3+3 



2 I 63 Bureau of Science. 



2 1 58 , Do. 



4 I 64 ! Do. 



4 : 67 I E. H. Taylor. 



4 I 68 j Do. 



6 ' 68 I Do. 



...: i Do. 



^ Head only. 



Remarks. — This species is fairly common about Manila Bay. 

 Dead snakes are frequently found along the beach where they 



