1870.] Indian and Malayan Amphibia and Beptilia. 213 



somewhat more than one-third of the length of the body, running 

 along the ventral side and accompanying laterally the alimentary 

 and respiratory canal &c. Their anterior half is extremely thin, 

 after which they gradually thicken, terminating in front of the heart 

 with club-shaped ends, being here partially surrounded by the pa- 

 renchyma of the internal organs. There is a perceptible thickening 

 of the muscles to be observed here, and when seen externally the 

 body is slightly thicker where the poison glands terminate. This 

 most remarkable physiological phenomenon, consisting in the pro - 

 longation of the poison glands has, to all appearance, its reason in 

 the slenderness of the snake, its head being so small, that there 

 does not seem to be sufficient room for the development of the 

 poison gland and of the muscles required to produce upon it the 

 pressure necessary for the ejection of the poison. 



I was told that this little snake is more dreaded by the natives 

 of Burma and of Java on account of its bite, than the comparatively 

 gigantic Ophiopliagus elaps, S c h 1 e g. 



Fam. Hydrophice. 



72. Enliydrina Valakadyen, Boie, sp., 1827. 



Syn. Enliydrina Bengalensis, Gray, (G ix n t h e r, 1. cit. p. 381). 



73. Enliydrina schistosa, D a u d. (Gr ii n t h e r, 1. cit.). 

 Russell (Ind. Serpents part II, pis. x and xi ) very properly 



pointed out the distinction of his Valakadyen and Hoogli pattee, ac- 

 cording to native accounts. There can be little doubt that he had 

 two distinct species before him, but the latter does not appear to 

 be nearly as common as the former, at least I can find in the Asiatic 

 Society's collections no specimen of it among many of Valakadyen ; 

 neither does a specimen of it appear to exist in the British Museum 

 collection. 



I have lately obtained from Dr. Day two specimens of E. Vala- 

 kadyen from Orissa, and one specimen from Gropalpore, the latter 

 being to all appearance identical with Hoogli pattee of Russell, or 

 JEnh. sehistosa, D a u d. 



The principal characters of E. Valakadyen are a subcylindrical 

 body, covered with hexagonal or suboval scales, carinated in 

 the centre, the scales being, as Russell remarks, rather conti- 



