250 



SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



Hydrophis brevis Jan, Elenco Sist. Ofid. (1863) 109 (Manila). 

 Hydrophis oMreviatus Jan, Elenco Sist. Ofid. (1863) 109 (Manila); 



Icon. Ophid. (1872) livr. 40, pi. 4, fig. 2. 

 Enhydris hardwickii BouLENfiER, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 (1896) 



301; Fauna Brit. India, Kept. (1890) 397; Wall, Mem. As. Soc. 



Bengal 2 (1907-10) 247. 

 Hydrophis (Thalassophis) loreatus Boettger, Zool. Anz. 11 (1888) 



396 (Mindanao and Luzon). 



Description of species. — (From No. 636, Bureau of Science 

 collection; collected in Manila Bay, by T. Bangis.) (Adult fe- 

 male.) Head moderate; nostrils superior; rostral not visible 

 from above, slightly higher than broad, with a short suture enter- 

 ing from above; nasals large, longer than v^ade, forming a long 

 mutual suture; a suture runs from nostril to anterior part of 

 second labial, and a second from nostril to prefrontal, com- 

 pletely dividing the scale; prefrontals much wider than long, 

 touching second labial, their mutual suture as long as their 

 sutures with frontal ; frontal longer than wide, pointed sharply 



Fig. -7. Lajieiiiis hardivickii Gray 



aftei- Giinther : c, head, dorsal vi 

 view ; c. chin. 



head. latei*al 



behind, distinctly shorter than its distance from end of snout; 

 supraoculars longer than broad; parietals elongate, very much 

 longer than broad, touching postocular on one side only; 7 upper 

 labials, the second largest and highest, touching anterior part 

 of nasal; third and fourth labials enter eye, sixth and seventh 

 small, wider than high; 2 large anterior temporals followed by 

 3 smaller ones ; 3 pairs of small chin shields, only the first pair 

 in contact; second and third pairs separated by 3 rows of small 

 scales ; mental small, triangular ; third labial separated from edge 

 of mouth by 2 small scales ; fourth lower labial largest ; posterior 

 lower labials bent over edge of mouth ; scales on body six-sided, 

 with a distinct keel on anterior part of each; scales in 34 rows 

 around neck; 41 rows around deepest part of body, 26 rows 

 around deepest part of tail; ventrals about 186, small, keeled, 

 scarcely discernible from body scales, usually with 2 tubercular 

 keels; subcaudals, 33; 4 anal scales, 2 outer largest; anals pre- 

 ceded by several small differentiated scales. 



