274 COITTBRID^. 



yellowish beneath, with black rings connected by a black ventral 

 band in the young ; a more or less distinct series of round black 

 dorsal spots between the rings ; head black above, with a horse- 

 shoe-shaped yellow mark, the convexity of which rests on the 

 praefrontal shields ; end of tail black. 



Total length 400 millim. Grows to 1800 miUim. 



Coasts of India and the Malay Archipelago. 



a. Yg. (V. 310). Indian Ocean. (Type.) 



b-c, d-e. Yg. (V. 300, 270, Indian Ocean. Sir J. McGrigor [P.]. 



302, 273). 



2. HydropMs polyodontus. 



Hydrophis polydontus, Jan, Icon. Oin. 41, pi. i. fig. 1 (1872). 



Head moderately smaU ; body moderately elongate. Eostral 

 broader than deep ; frontal a little longer than broad, as long as 

 its distance from the rostral, much shorter than the parietals ; one 

 prae- and two postoculars ; a single anterior temporal ; seven upper 

 labials, second largest, third and fourth entering the eye ; a single 

 pair of small chin-shields. Scales juxtaposed, with a small tubercle, 

 45 round the middle of the body. Body with transverse rhomboidal 

 black spots ; head black. 



Habitat unknown. 



3. Hydrophis schistosus. 



Itussell, Ind. Serp. ii. pi. x. (1801). 



Hydrophis schistosus, Daud. Rept. vii. p. 386 (1803) ; Bouleng. Faun. 



Ind., Rept. p. 399 (1890). 

 Pelamis schistosus, Merr. Tent. p. 139 (1820). 

 Hydrophis nigra, Anders. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 399; Fayrer, 



Thanathoph. Ind. pi. xiv. (1874). 



Head moderate ; body moderately elongate. Eostral broader 

 than deep ; nasals about as long as the frontal, more than twice as 

 long as the suture between the prsefrontals ; frontal slightly longer 

 than broad, shorter than the parietals ; one prae- and one post- 

 ocular ; two superposed anterior temporals ; seven upper labials, 

 second largest, third and fourth entering the eye ; two pairs of 

 subequal chin-shields, posterior separated by one scale. 32 scales 

 round the neck, 47 round the body ; scales elongate-rhomboidal, 

 smooth or feebly keeled, feebly imbricate anteriorly, juxtaposed 

 posteriorly. Ventrals distinct anteriorly, 235-306. Uniform 

 blackish. 



Total length 465 millim. ; tail 50. 



Bengal and Cuttack coasts. 



a. Hgr. (V. 235). Poorie, Orissa. Sir J. Fayrer [P.], 



4. Hydrophis hybridus. 



Hydrophis hybrida, Sohleg. Abbild. p. 115, pi. xxxvii. (1844) ; Jan, 

 Icon. G4n. 41, pi. v. fig. 1 (1872). 



