1847.] Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 905 



AQUATIC. 

 Gen. Acrochordus, apad Schlegel. 

 {Acrochordus, Hornstedt, 1787. — Chersydrus, Cuvier, 1817.) 

 Acrochordus, Hornstedt. Nostrils vertical, eyes encircled by a ring 

 of minute scales ; trunk compressed, attenuated towards both extremi- 

 ties ; tail tapering, compressed ; all the scales small, trifid, strongly 

 keeled. 



Acrochordus javanicus, Hornstedt. 



Syn. — Acrochordus javanicus, apud Shaw. 



Acrochordus javensis, Lacep. apud Cuvier. 



Acrochordus javanicus, apud Schlegel. 



" U'lar karong, or sapi, or lembu" of the Malays.* 



Young. Above dull greyish-brown ; sides and lower parts pale yellow, 

 or dirty ochre ; back with 3 longitudinal, undulating, frequently inter-' 

 rupted black bands ; sides and abdomen with rows of rounded spots, 

 marbled and dotted with black. 



Adult, Of similar, but less distinct colours. Iris brown, pupil 

 elliptic, vertically contracted by the light ; tongue whitish. 

 Habit. — Pinang, Singapore. 

 Java. 

 A female captured on the Great Hill at Pinang, at a distance from 

 water, was of the following dimensions : 



Length of the head, ft. If inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 4 7 



Ditto ditto tail, 9 



5ft. 5-f inch. 



Greatest circumference one foot. 



Notwithstanding the sharply compressed abdomen, the serpent mov- 

 ed without difficulty, but sluggishly on the ground, and preferred 

 quiet. When touched she attempted to bite, but the pupil being con- 

 tracted by the glare, she missed her aim. Shortly after being brought, 

 while the rest of the body remained motionless, the posterior ribs were 

 observed moving, and the serpent successively, in the course of about 

 25 minutes, brought forth twenty-seven young ones. Each birth was 



* U'lar signifies a serpent, kdrong a sac ; sdpi and lembu a cow or ox. These explo- 

 sive vernacular names refer to the loose skin, and the bulk of the animal. 



