252 SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



Remarks. — The species is incredibly numerous in Manila Bay. 

 I have kept as many as fifty living specimens in the aquarium 

 at one time. They do not do vv^ell in captivity and seldom live 

 for more than a few months. To obtain the proper sort of food 

 for them is a problem. 



Most of the Philippine records for this species are for Manila. 

 I have taken specimens at Hinigaran, on Negros. It probably 

 occurs with greater or less frequency on the coasts of all of 

 the islands. Outside of the Philippines it occurs from the Bay 

 of Bengal to New Guinea. 



Genus PELAMYDRTJS Stejneger 



Hydrus, part., Schneider, Hist. Amph. 1 (1799) 233. 



Pelamis, part., Daudin, Hist. Rept. 7 (1803) 357; Fischer, Abh. 



Naturw. Hamburg 3 (1856) 61. 

 Pelamis Fitzinger, Neue Class. Rept. (1826) 29; Wagler, Syst. Amph. 



(1830) 165; Gray, Cat. Vip. Snakes (1849) 41; Dumeril and Bi- 



BRON, Erp. Gen. 7 (1854) 1333; Gunther, Rept. Brit. India (1864) 



382; BOETTGER, Ber. Senclv. Nat. Ges. (1886) 119; Casto de Elera, 



Cat. Fauna Filipinas 1 (1895) 443. 

 Hydrophis, part., Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 2 (1837) 488; Jan, Elenco 



Sist. Ofid. (1863) 109. 

 Thalassophis, part., Schmidt, Abh. Naturw. Hamburg 2 (1852) 75. 

 Hydrus Boulenger, Fauna Brit. India, Rept. (1890) 397; Cat. Snakes 



Brit. Mus. 3 (1896) 266. 

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



"Maxillary longer than the ectopterygoid, not e.xtending for- 

 wards as far as the palatine ; poison-fangs rather short, fol- 

 lowed, after a short interspace, by 7 or 8 solid teeth. Nostrils 

 superior; snout long; head-shields large, nasals in contact with 

 each other; a preeocular; no loreal. Body rather short; scales 

 hexagonal or squarish, juxtaposed; no distinct ventrals." {Bou- 

 lenger.) 



Widely distributed throughout the Indian Ocean, Malay Archi- 

 pelago, and the Pacific Ocean. Only one species is recognized. 



PELAMYDRUS PLATURUS (Linnaeus) 



Plate 31, fig. 1 



Anguis platura Linn^us, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 1 (1766) 391. 



Hydrvs bicolor Schneider, Hist. Amph. 1 (1799) 242; Cantor, Cat. 

 Mai. Rept. (1847) 135; CuviER, Reg. Anim. Rept. Atlas 6, pi. 36. 



Hydrophis pkitura L.\treille, Hist. Nat. Rept. 4 (1802) 197. 



Pelamis bicolor Daudin, Hist. Nat. Rept. 7 (1803) 366; Gray, Cat. 

 Vip. Snakes (1849) 41; Dumeril and Bibron, Erp. Gen. 7 (1854) 

 1335; Gunther, Rept. Brit. India (1864) 382; Krefft, Snakes 

 Austral. (1869) 98, pi. 12, fig. 19; Strauch, Schl. Russ. Rept. 

 (1873) 199; Fayree. Thanatoph. Ind. (1874) pi. 17; Peters, Preuss. 

 Exped. 0. A.^ien 1 (1876) 382; Peters and Doria, Ann. Mus. 



