1847.] Malayan 'Peninsula and Islands. 1053 



Hydrus schistosus, (Daudin.) 



Syn.*— Russell, II, PI. 10, Hoogli Pattee, 1801. 

 Russell, II, PI. 11, Valakadyen, 1801. 

 Hydro-phis schistosus, Daudin, 1803. 

 Hydrus valakadyen, H. Boie, 1827. 

 Disteira russelli, Fitzinger, 1827. 

 Hydrophis, apud Wagler, 1830. 

 Leioselasma schistosa, Fitzinger, 1827- 

 Hydrus, apud Wagler, 1830. 

 Hydrophis schistosa, Schlegel, 1837. 

 Hydrophis schistosa, Schlegel, apud Cantor, 1. c. 



New bom, — Head above blackish or dark brown ; back and sides 

 with numerous transversal blackish bands, broad above, narrow on the 

 sides ; lips, throat, sides and abdomen buff ; tail blackish with a few 

 transversal buff bands above. Entire length 10-| inch. 



Adult ? — Head above and back either uniformly pale greenish grey, 

 or with darker transversal bands, becoming more or less indistinct on 

 the sides ; lips, throat, sides brownish white or buff; tail uniformly- 

 blackish, or greyish olive-green. Iris pale amber or greenish-yellow, 

 with a grey orbital margin ; pupil black, tongue buff. 



Central abdominal series : 239 -H7 5 242-J-42 ; 312-J-58. 



Habit. — Sea of Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 

 Bay of Bengal, Malabar, Sumatra. 



The head is elongated conical, the muzzle sloping and the rostral shield 

 beneath terminating in a vertically projecting point, which fits into a 

 corresponding cavity in the lower jaw. The anterior elongated trian- 

 gular frontal shields are next to the occipitals the largest ; the large 

 oval nostrils send a slit towards the external margin of the shield. 

 The eyes are lateral, moderate, surrounded by a prae-orbital, a post-orbi- 

 tal, frequently cut in two smaller, and beneath by the fourth upper 

 labial shield. Behind the latter, the lip is covered by three or four 

 horizontally placed small shields, above which appear three large 

 vertically placed shields, of which the last borders the sides of the occi- 

 pital pair. The lower rostral is remarkably elongated, linear, and hid 

 in a furrow between the first pair of inferior labials. Of the latter the 

 anterior five on each side are much elongated, followed by five or six 

 smaller. The chin is covered with numerous minute scales, and like 



* Doubtful Syn.— Hydrus major, Shaw, 1802.— Disteira doliata, Lacepede , 1804. 



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