198 



MAJOR F. WALL, I.M.S., O.M.Z.S. 



DlSTIRA GRACILIS (Shaw). 



"Tatta pam," Russell, Ind. Serp., 1801, i, pi. xliv(?) and vol. ii, pi. xiii. 

 Hydrus gracilis, Shaw, Zool., 1802, iii, p. 560. 

 Anguis mamillaris, Daudin, Rept., 1803, vii, p. 340. 

 Microcephalophis gracilis, Gray, Cat., 1849, p. 46. 

 Liopala gracilis, Gray in Zool. Misc., 1842, p. 60. 

 ? Hydrophis gracilis, Schlegel, Phys. Serp., 1837, pi. xviii, figs. 6 and 7. 



,, Giinther, Rept. Brit. Ind. } 1864, p. 373. 

 ? ,, ,, Murray, Vert. Zool. Sind, 1884, p. 395. 



,, Boulgr.in Blan ford, Fauna Br it. Ind. Rept. and Batrach., 1890, 

 p. 404, and fig., p. 398. 

 }} ,, Sclater, List Snakes Ind. Mus., 1891, p. 64. 



„ ,, Wall in Mem. As. Soc. Bengal, 1906, p. 283, and in Spot. 



Zeylan., Augt. 1907, p. 167. 

 ? ,, microcephala, Jan, Icon. Gen., 1872, 41, pi. v, fig. 2. 



? ,, guentheri, Murray, loc. cit., p. 396, and plate (non Theobald). 



Fig. 10. — Distira gracilis ( x 4) 



I have examined 32 of this common, and very well differentiated species. 



I do not concur with Mr. Boulenger's view concerning plate xliv in Russell's 

 first volume, which I think clearly represents this species. Mr. Boulenger seeks to 

 make this the type of his mamillaris (see Catalogue, vol. iii, p. 277). I only know two 

 species, in which the portion of the rostral visible above ever equals the length of 

 the internasal suture as shown in this plate, viz., gracilis (Shaw), and cantoris (Giinther). 

 It seems probable that the large anterior and posterior temporal shields shown in the 

 same plate are single though this point is not quite certain. The relative proportions 

 of depth in the neck and body are not apparent owing to the dorsal aspect of the 

 snake being shown in toto. The breadth, and number of the bands, their vertebral 

 dilation, and the juxtaposed character of the scales mentioned in the letterpress, are 

 as typical of gracilis (Shaw) as mamillaris (Boulenger), but the condition of the rostral 

 and the anterior temporal, followed by a larger posterior shield, are so typical of gracilis 

 (Shaw) that I cannot escape the conviction that it is this snake which is represented. 



