134 7-] Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 951 



4 white cylindrical eggs, which when they were observed contained 

 but yolk j each measured about an inch in length. 



Homalopsis hydrina, N. S. (See Plate, Fig, 4.) 



Adult. — Ash-coloured above with a few scattered black spots on the 

 neck ; the back and tail with numerous transversal black bands ; the 

 lips, sides and abdomen uniformly pearl-coloured. Iris ashy; pupil 

 elliptical, vertically contracted by the light ; tongue small, whitish. 



Scuta 161 ; Scutella34. 



Young. — Resembling the adult, but the ash-colour of a much lighter 

 shade. 



Scuta 153; Scuteila 35. 



Habit. — Sea off Pinang, and the Malayan Peninsula. 



The head is moderately distinct, elongated, depressed, oval with 

 rounded, blunt muzzle ; the rostral shield moderate, hexagonal ; its 

 lower margin with a central minute tubercle, on each side of which 

 a triangular impression. The upper margin of the minute triangular 

 lower rostral presents a central cavity, and two lateral elevations fitting 

 into the margin of the upper rostral. A similar contrivance in the 

 pelagic serpents enables them hermetically to close the mouth. As in 

 H. leucobalia, the single small anterior frontal is elongated hexagonal, 

 broader behind, and enclosed by the rostral, the nasals, and the fron- 

 tals. Although the nasals are placed laterally, the small arched linear 

 nostrils open vertically, and send a slit to the posterior margin of the 

 shield ; the frontals are hexagonal, smaller than the latter ; the vertical 

 is the longest of the crown-shields, very narrow, hexagonal, pointed 

 at both extremities, but broader behind ; the supra-orbitals are small, 

 narrow ; the occipitals are broken up in minor shields : viz. two post- 

 occipitals, in size equal to the occipitals, and a minute conical inter- 

 occipital, enclosed by the four shields, with the broader extremity 

 wedged in between the occipitals. Each temple is covered with two 

 pairs of large shields, of which the lower borders the fifth, sixth, and 

 seventh upper labials. The eye is very minute, prominent, almost 

 vertically placed, surrounded by two post-orbitals, of which the lower 

 is broad pentagonal, meeting beneath the elongated single oblique proe- 

 orbital. Thus none of the upper labials border the orbit. The frenal 

 is moderate, pentagonal. Of the seven upper labials the anterior three 



