MORPHOLOGY OF VENOMOUS SNAKES 29 



Enhydris^curtus. (Platejio, c.) 



Dark crossbands, broader at middle of body; tail black. Length 2.5 feet. 

 Coasts of India and Ceylon. 



Another species of this genus is Enhydris hardwickii Gray. 



Genus PLATURUS LatreiUe. 

 Laticauda Laurenti, Syn. Rept., 109. 



Two large poison fangs and one or two small solid teeth near end of maxilla. 

 Body very fringed. Scales united and imbricated on body, large on belly and tail. 

 Four species along the eastern parts of Indian Ocean and west Pacific. 



Platurus laticaudatus s. fischeri. (Plate 10, d.) 



Olive with yellow belly; 29 to 48 black rings. Length 3.5 feet. 



Platurus colubrinus. (Plate 1 1, d, e.) 



Olive color with 28 to 54 black rings. Length 3.5 to 4 feet. 

 Platurus muelleri. 



Sixty-two rings. Only in subtropical central Pacific to New Hebrides and 

 Tasmania. 



Genus AIPYSURUS Lacepede. 

 Aipysurus Lacepede = Emydocephalus Krefft, type annulatus, Proc. Z. S. London, 1869, 321. 



Maxillary slightly longer than pterygoids; the poison fangs and 8 to 10 hollow 

 teeth are separated by a short interval; the anterior mandibular teeth slightly longer. 

 Body moderate, scales imbricated, ventrals large, and keeled at middle. 



Aipysurus australis. 



Brown or cream color, with brown spots forming more or less distinct crossbars. 

 Length about 3.5 feet. New Guinea and Australia. 



The species: Aipysurus eydouxii, annulatus, and Icevis 1 may be found along the 

 coasts of Singapore, of Java, of the Philippines, and of Loyalty Islands. 



Family VIPERID^; Boulenger.2 



The maxillaries are very short, movably attached to the prefrontals and ectoptery- 

 goids, so that they can be erected together with the large poison fangs, which with 

 the reserve teeth are the only maxillary teeth. The prefrontals are not in contact 

 with the nasals. The squamosals are very loosely attached. The poison fangs 

 are perforated, having a wide hole on the anterior side of the base, in connection with 

 the large venom gland; the hole leads into a canal which opens gradually as a semi- 

 canal on the anterior surface of the distal third or quarter of the fang. As usual 

 in poisonous snakes, several reserve fangs are stored away behind the acting fang. 

 When the latter is broken off or has served its time it is cast off at the base, and 

 the next reserve tooth takes its place. The supply of reserve fangs is indefinite, 

 half-developed teeth down to mere germs constantly growing. 



All of the Viperidae are very poisonous, and all of them, except the African 

 Atractaspis, are viviparous. They include the terrestrial, arboreal, semiaquatic, 

 and burrowing types. 



The family is found in every country except Madagascar and Australia. 



1 This is Emydocephalus annulatus Krefft. Stejneger describes Emydocepltalus ijima, which Boulenger 

 thinks to be identical with Krefft's Emydocephalus annulatus. See Stejneger, Herpetology of 



JTapan, 1007. 

 es Cobndae and Crotalidee of Stejneger and Atractaspididae, Causidffi, Viperidse, and Crotalida? 

 of Cope. 



