LAPEMIS 251 



Color in alcohol. — Above, banded with bluish black and light 

 bands, about 39 of each, from head to tail; on back the black 

 bands are 5 scales wide, the light bands about 2 scales wide ; the 

 black bands narrow rapidly, and midway on sides they are only 

 2 or 3 scales wide ; the white bands widen on sides proportionally 

 as the black bands decrease in width; the black bands widen 

 again on belly ; tail largely black, the white bands not extending 

 more than halfway down on sides of tail. 



Measurements of Lapetnis hardwickii Gray. 



mm. 



Total length 762 



Snout to vent 689 



Tail 73 



Depth of neck 23 



Greatest depth of body 43 



Depth of tail 24 



Length of head 34 



Width of head 25 



Variation. — A remarkable amount of variation is evident in 

 this species, and the sexes differ markedly. Boettger gives the 

 following variation in scale counts. Males : Ventrals, 135 to 

 168, average, 153 ; scale rows, 25 to 31, average, 28. Females : 

 Ventrals, -186 to 237, average, 202 ; scale rows, 29 to 36, aver- 

 age, 31. In specimens that I examined the ventrals varied 

 between 130 and 230 ; and the scale rows, between 24 and 41. 



Of about one hundred fifty specimens examined about sixty 

 had one or more loreals present on one or both sides (Hydrophis 

 loreata) . The loreal is usually formed from the anterior part 

 of second labial; sometimes it is fused with preocular, in which 

 case the latter touches nasal; sometimes the loreal fuses with 

 the lower part of nasal, sometimes with a second loreal formed 

 from the upper part of first labial. Not infrequently specimens 

 are found with one or two loreals on one side and none on the 

 other. The frontal varie's greatly in length; sometimes it is 

 as long as its distance from snout, at other times it is scarcely 

 half as long. One or two preoculars are present. The suture 

 from nostril goes with about equal frequency to first and second 

 labials ; there are usually two anterior temporals but not in- 

 frequently the temporals are fused into one scale. 



The markings are variable also. The number of dark bands 

 varies between 28 and 41 ; they may encircle body or may be 

 joined on back not extending the full length of side; sometimes 

 the bands are joined by a black line following the ventrals ; 

 the bands may be wide or narrow. 



