1853.] Catalogue of Beptiles inhabiting the Peninsula of India. 525 



The above are all the venomous land snakes I have yet met with 

 in Southern India. Of these the only ones at all common are the 

 Cobra, the Chain Viper (Yipera Eussellii), the Bimgarus candidus, 

 and the little Vipera echis. Most of the others are peculiar to 

 the forests of India. The Trigonocephali are not usually fatal. I 

 have known several cases of bites by Trigonocephalus malabaricus, 

 and Trig, nepa ; and none proved fatal. Great pain is experienced, 

 and swelling usually follows, but the patient gradually recovers. I 

 myself was bitten in the fore-finger by the Trigonocephalus neelgher- 

 riensis ; I applied a ligature round the finger, and sucked the wound 

 vigorously. In a minute or so the skin round the bite blackened, 

 and in a minute or two more a perfectly circular bit of the skin 

 came off in my mouth. I set off running immediately I was bitten, 

 and felt no further ill effects. See Cantor's remarks on the bite of 

 Trig, sumatranus, Journ. As. Soc, Calcutta, XVI, 1044-6; also 

 Blyth, ibid. XX, 524. 



PELAGIC. 

 Tarn. HYDBID^E — Bon. 



Hydkophis colubei]S"a — Schlegel, var. ? — n. s. 



I possess what is apparently a variety of this species of sea-snake. 

 It differs from the finished drawing of the species in Cuvier's Eegne 

 Animal (Edit, des Eleves), in the black markings meeting on thq 

 back and abdomen, thus forming a series of light-coloured oval spots 

 on the sides ; the abdominal scutse commence nearer the mouth, 

 having only 3 or 4 series of small scales between them and the 

 elongated mentals ; the scutse are above 300 in number, and the 

 rows of scales are from 35 to 45 — whilst in H. colubrina the scutae 

 are only 246 — and the rows of scales 25. My only specimen is a 

 young one procured at Madras. 



Hydetjs schistosus, Daud. — Eussel 2, pi. 10. Up to 4 feet long 

 nearly. Very common at Madras. 



Hydetjs pelamidoides, Schlegel. Not common at Madras. 



Hydetjs bicoloe, Schneider— Eussell 1, pi. 41. Eare at Madras. 



Hydetjs steiattjs, Lacep. — Eussell 2, pi. 9 ? Not rare at Madras, 

 up to 6 feet in length. 



Hydetjs nigeocincttjs, Daudin. — Eussell 2, pi. 6. Common at 

 Madras. 



