209. BisiiKA. 295 



Enhydiis striatus, Merr. I. c. 



Hydrus cyanocinctus, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 364. 



Hydrophis striata, Selileg. Faun. Japan., Bept. p. 89, pi. vii. (1837), and 



Phys. Serp. ii. p. 602, pi. xviii. figs. 4 & 5 (1837) ; Fischer, Abh. 



Naturw. Satnb. iii. 1856, p. 41. 

 Hydrus striatus, part., Cantor, Cat. Mai. Sept. p. 126 (1847). 

 Hydrophis subannulata. Gray, Cat. p. 64 (1849). 



aspera. Gray, I. c. p. 65 ; Gunth. Bept. Brit. Ind. p. 365 (1864). 



cyanocincta, part., Giinth. I. c. p, 367. 



ti'achyceps, Theob. Cat. Bept. As. Soc. Mus. 1868, p. 70. 



crassicoUis, Anders. Joum. As. Soc. Beng. xl. 1871, p. 19. 



westermanni, Jan, Icon. Gin. 39, pi. v. fig. 1 (1872). 



phipsoni, Murray, Joum. Bomb:' N. S. Soc. ii. 1887, p. 32, 



pi.—. 



taprobanica, Haly, Taprobanian, ii. 1887, p. 107. 



Distira cyanocincta, Bouleng. Faun. Ind., Bept. p. 410 (1890); 

 W. Sclater, Joum. As. Soc. Beng. ix. 1891, p. 247 ; Boettg. Ber. 



Ofenb. Ver. Nat. 1892, p. 90. 



Head moderate ; body elongate. Eostral slightly broader tban 

 deep ; nasals shorter than the frontal, twice, or rather more than, 

 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 prse- and two post- 

 oculars ; seven or eight upper labials, second largest, third and fourth, 

 fourth and fifth, or third, fourth, and fifth, entering the eye ; two 

 superposed anterior temporals ; two pairs of subequal chin-shields, 

 in contact on the middle line, or posterior pair separated by one 

 scale. 27 to 33 scales round the neck, 39 to 45 round the middle 

 of the body ; scales rhomboidal and subimbricate, with a short keel 

 which is very strong, and broken up into two or three tubercles in 

 adult males. Ventrals distinct throughout, smooth or with two or 

 more tubercles, 281-385. Greenish olive above, with dark olive or 

 black cross-bars or annuli, broadest on the back, and sometimes 

 joined by a black band running along the belly ; or yellowish with a 

 black vertebral stripe sending off a few bar-like processes on the neck. 



Total length 1500 miUim. ; tail 140. 



From the Persian Gulf and the coasts of India to China and 

 Japan and Papuasia. 



A. Black annuli complete and connected by a black band along 



the belly. 



Or-b. c? (V. 343) & hgr. Bushire. E. Lort Phillips, Esq. 

 (V. 326). [P.]. 



c. Ye. (V. 306). Persian Gulf. 



d. I&r. (V. 344). Malabar. Col. Beddome [C.]. 



e. 5 (V. 815). Madras. F. Day, Esq. [P.]. 



f. $ (V. 296). Sunderbunds, Dr. P. Russell, CoUege 



Bengal. of Surgeons [E.]. 



g. hr-k. $ (V. 310) & yg. Formosa. R. Swinhoe, Esq. [0.]. 

 (V. 308, 306, 303). 



B. Black annuli complete but not connected by a band along 



the belly. 

 «. Yg. (Y. 339). Malabar. Col. Beddome [0.]. 



