1 847. j Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 907 



Adult. The dark colours fade to a dull greyish black, uniform on 

 the back, and the sides and abdomen present alternate dark and whitish 

 vertical bands. Iris black, pupil vertically contracted ; tongue whitish. 



Habit. — Rivers and sea-coast of the Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 

 Bay of Manilla, New-Guinea, Timor, Java, Sumatra, Coro- 

 man del. 



This species appears not to exceed about 3ft. in length. The body is 

 less bulky and the skin less loose than in A. javanicus. But the form 

 is more compressed, particularly the sword, or oar-like tail, and like 

 that of the pelagic venomous serpent, appears exclusively calculated 

 to aquatic habits. The scales also resemble those of the latter, and are 

 generally smaller than in A. javanicus. Those of the back, the largest, 

 are. rounded rhombic, each with a minute tubercle in the centre. The 

 skin in the interstices is finely wrinkled. On the abdomen the scales 

 are mucronate, with a sharp, reclining central point. In both species 

 the medial line is raised by 2 or 3 quincunx rows of scales with their 

 points overlapping each other. The orbit is surrounded by a ring 

 of scales a little larger than the rest. The nostrils, pierced high up 

 on the muzzle, are almost vertical, slightly more so than they are in 

 A. javanicus. In both they are tubular, larger in the present species, 

 sinuous, and provided with a deeply seated membranous fold, which 

 can hermetically close the passage. The mouth is secured in a similar 

 manner by a central arched notch and two lateral protuberances, which 

 correspond to a protuberance and two lateral cavities in the lower jaw. 

 This contrivance also occurs in Hydrus, and to a certain extent in 

 Homalopsis. With the exception of the dentition and the absence of 

 venomous organs, in anatomical details both species of Acrochordus 

 closely resemble B.ydrus. As observed by M. Schlegel, the most 

 striking feature is the great development of the lung, which occupies 

 nearly three-fourths of the extent of the abdominal cavity. A some- 

 what similar arrangement also occurs in Homalopsis. All the maxillary 

 teeth (inter-maxillary none) are strong, pointed, inwardly reclining and 

 disposed in double or treble rows. The 3 anterior teeth are the short- 

 est : the upper jaw has on each side upwards of 20 teeth, the lower 3 

 or 4 less. The palatal teeth number 12 on each side, the pterygoid 9, 

 and are shorter than the rest. Acrochordus granulatus is of no rare 



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