214 Indian and Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia. [No. 3, 



guous than imbricated. The head is stout, rather wide at the 

 base, with a moderate gape of the mouth, the shields of the upper 

 head are in all specimens, I saw, more or less granular ; the scales are 

 on the neck (about 2 inches behind the head) in from 38-44 series, 

 they are ovately elongated, and very slightly imbricated ; further on 

 the scales are distinctly hexagonal and round the middle of the body 

 in 48-50 longitudinal series. The tail is broad, its length being little 

 more than one-seventh of the body; one specimen measures 33£ 

 inches, of which the tail is 4£. 



The Gropalpore specimen represents an altogether more slender 

 form, and the tail measures a little more than one-tenth of that 

 of the body, being proportionately rather narrow or less high 

 than that of Valakadyen. As compared with this last named species, 

 JE. schistosa has the head more ovately prolonged, and the gape 

 wider, consequently all the shields of the head are also a little more 

 elongated, and all are perfectly smooth ; the postocular is in this 

 particular specimen united to the fourth upper labial ; the scales on 

 the neck are from 58-60 longitudinal series, they are very much 

 elongated, pointed and imbricated. The body is more compressed 

 than in Valakadyen, the scales on it are along the back much elon- 

 gated, imbricated, and carinated, on the sides more oval or hexago- 

 nal and less distinctly keeled ; round the middle they vary in from 

 66-70 longitudinal series. 



In coloration, both species appear to be very much alike, and 

 this was probably the principal reason, that they had been considered 

 as one and the same species, though Gr r a y, I think, very correctly 

 remarks (Yiperine snakes, p. 49) when speaking of Enh. Valakadyen 

 (which is Boie's Sydrus Valakadyen* and the same as E. Benyalensis) t 



"Schlegel states that Hoogli pattee, Russell, is a 



half grown specimen of this species ; but this is inconsistent with 

 Ii u s s e 1 l's description and figure of the head shields." 



74. Pelamis platurus, Linn. 

 P. bicolor, S c h n e i d., (G u n t h. 1. cit. p. 382). 



A large specimen from the Orissa coast has each scale impressed 

 in the middle. A small specimen caught by Captain G. E. F r y e r 



* Or Valakadyn, which is evidently only an incorrect copy of Russell's 

 name. 



