1847.] Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 1057 



minute tubercles. Similar tubercles are observed on each side of the 

 scales, forming the central abdominal series, which is composed either 

 of entire hexagonal scales, a little larger than the rest, or they are lon- 

 gitudinally divided into pairs of smaller pentagonal scales, which have 

 the appearance of being divided by an abdominal suture. A single 

 individual taken in a fishing stake, off the coast of Province Wellesley 

 was of the following dimensions : 



Length of the head, ft. 1| inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 2 1| 



Ditto ditto tail, 3| 



2 ft. 7| inch. 

 Circumference of the neck, 2|, greatest do. of the trunk, 3f inch. 



The preceding, comprising all the hitherto known species of pelagic 

 serpents were observed chiefly at Pinang, among the abundant supply 

 of fishes, daily carried to the markets. Of their general habits some 

 account appears in the Transactions of the Zoological Society, London, 

 Vol. II, p. 303. One of them, Hydrus schistosus, is incredibly nume- 

 rous in the Bay of Bengal, at Pinang and Singapore, far more so than 

 any known terrestrial serpent. The fishing nets are hardly ever worked, 

 but that one or more are among the contents. The other six species 

 are of rare occurrence at Pinang and Singapore, as will be perceived 

 from the disproportionally small number of each, examined during four 

 years, viz. of Laticauda scutata : 3 ; Hydrus striatus : 2; nigrocinctus : 

 6 ; gracilis : 7 ; pelamidoides : 4 ; pelamis : 1. — Of these Laticauda 

 scutata is excessively numerous in Timor, Hydrus pelarnis in New 

 Guinea, the Molucca Islands, and Otaheite, where the natives use it as 

 an article of food. The remaining species, as far as is known, have 

 been observed nowhere in such overwhelming numbers. Large indivi- 

 duals of every species are very seldom seen, it is the young individuals 

 which frequent the coasts, and it appears to be questionable, if even 

 the largest observed are animals arrived at their full size. The large 

 individuals are very ferocious ; the young ones are less so. Fortunately 

 for the fishermen the light blinds these serpents, which when out of 

 their proper element, become very sluggish and soon expire. This 

 accounts for the safety of the class of men, whose daily calling brings 



