298 



COLUBEID^. 



or three postoculars ; eight upper labials, second largest, third and 

 fourth entering the eye ; two or three superposed anterior temporals ; 

 two pairs of subequal chin-shields, in contact, or posterior separated 

 by one scale. 30 to 33 scales round the neck, 43 to 47 round the 

 body; scales rhomboidal and subimbricate on the neck, hexagonal 

 and juxtaposed on the body, of young smooth, of adult female with, 

 a feeble tubercle or keel, of adult male with a strong spinose tubercle.. 

 Ventrals distinct throughout, 300-387. Young yellowish or greyish 

 olive above, white beneath, with complete black rings which are 

 broadest on the back; head black, with an angular yellow 

 (vermUion) band above, the apex on the snout ; taU black, with 

 light vertical bands at the base. In the adult the bands become 

 more obsolete and are not continued across the body, and the head 

 is uniform olive-brown. 



Total length 940 miUim. ; tail 90. 



Coasts of Baluchistan, India, and Ceylon. 



a. Yg. (V. 305). Madras. T. 0. Jerdon, Esq. [P.]. I ,m^„- x 



b. Hgr. (V. 332). Oeylon. Zoological Society. ( (^^^^■■' 



c. c? (V. 887). Ceylon. E. W. H. Holdsworth, Esq. [0.1. 



d. Hgr. (V. 328). Ceylon. E. W. H. Holdsworth, Esq. [C.];_ 



(Type of S. holdsworthii.y 



e. Hgr. (V. 300). Ceylon. Miss Layard [P.]. 

 /. S (V. 362). Poorie, Orissa. Sir J. Fayrer [P.]. 



iir. Yg. (V. 345). Gwadar,Baluch- W. T. Blanford, Esq. [P.]. 

 istan. 



17. Distira viperina. 



Thalassophis viperina, Schmidt, Abh. Naturw. Hamb. ii. 1852,. 



p. 79, pi. iii. 

 Disteira prasscutata, Dum. 8f Bibr. vii. p. 1331 (1854). 

 Hydrophis doliata, Fischer, Ahh. Naturiv. Hamb. iii. 1856, p. 56. 

 f Hydrophia obscurus {non Baud.), Jan, Rev. ^ Mag. Zool. 1859^ 



p. 151, Prodr. pi. D (1859), and Icon. Ophid. 40, pi. vi. fig. 2 



(1872). 

 Hydrophis viperina, Gunth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 378 (1864) ; Anders, 



Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 400 ; Boettgi. Ber. Offenb. Ver. Nat. 1888, 



p. 91 ; Bouleng. Ann. 8f Mag. N. S. (6) ii. 1888, p. 44. 

 jayakari, Bouleng. Ann. Sr Mag. N. H. (5) xx. 1887, p. 408 ; 



Ande)-s. Journ. Linn. Soc. xxi. 1889, p. 348. 



plumbea, Murray, Journ. Bomb. M. H. Soc. ii. 1887, p. 34. 



Distira viperina, Bouleng. Faun. Ind., Rept. p. 413 (1890). 



Head rather small ; body moderately elongate, rather slender 

 anteriorly. Eostral as deep as broad ; nasals as long as or a little 

 shorter than the frontal ; suture between the prsefrontals very 

 short ; frontal as broad as long, as long as its distance from the 

 rostral or the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; one or 

 two prsB- and one or two postoculars ; seven or eight upper labials, 

 second largest, fourth or third and fourth entering the eye ; one or 

 two anterior temporals ; two pairs of chin-shields, in contact with 

 each other, posterior longest. 27 to 29 scales round the neck, 37 

 to 43 round the body ; scales juxtaposed, obtusely keeled. Ventrals 



