209. DI8TIRA. 293 



Head moderate; body elongate. Eostral broader than deep; nasals 

 tshorter than the frontal, about twice as long as the suture between 

 the praefrontals ; frontal much longer than broad, as long as its 

 distance from the rostral or the end of the snout, shorter than the 

 parietals ; one pree- and one or two postoeulars ; a single large anterior 

 temporal, sometimes descending to the labial margin ; seven upper 

 labials, second largest, third and fourth or third, fourth, and fifth 

 entering the eye ; two pairs of subequal chin-shields, in contact on 

 the middle Une. 27 to 31 scales round the neck, 32 to 40 round the 

 tody ; scales rhomboidal and subimbricate, smooth or each with a 

 more or less distinct central tubercle or short obtuse keel. Ventrals 

 •distinct throughout, smooth or bitubercular, 300-354. Greenish 

 yellow above, dorsal scales with black margins, with black cross- 

 1)ands or annuli, which are narrower than the interspaces between 

 them ; sides and lower parts yellow ; end of tail black. 



Total length 1800 millim. ; tail 120. 



Persian Gulf and coasts of India, Burma, and the Malay Archi- 

 -pelago. 



9. Distira tuberculata. 



Hydrophis tuberculata, Anders. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xl. 1871, 



p. 18 ; Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 393 (1884), 

 Distira tuberculata, Bouleng. Faun. Ind., JRept. p. 409 (1890). 



Head moderate ; neck not very slender. Eostral broader than 

 ■deep ; head-shields studded with minute granules ; fourth and fifth 

 labials below the eye ; one prse- and two postoeulars ; anterior 

 "temporal large and almost entering the labial margin ; two pairs of 

 large square chin-shields in contact with each other. 38 rows of 

 slightly imbricate scales round the neck, each with two prominent 

 iubercles, one before the other. Ventrals 321, small, irregular ; 

 •each ventral with several minute tubercles on either side. Body 

 encircled by black bands, broadest and blackest on the back; 

 ground-colour olive-yellow above, bright gamboge-yeUow below. 



Total length 1200 millim. 



Persian Gulf, coast of Sind, tidal streams at Calcutta. 



10. Distira grandis. (Piatb XVI.) 



Head rather small ; body much elongate, its greatest depth twice 

 and a half to three times the diameter of the neck. Eostral as 



