A MONOGRAPH OF THE SEA-SNAKES (HYDROPHTTNJK). 



207 



Known from a single very yonng specimen in the Indian Museum, described 

 by me. 



It presents very definite characters which demarcate it very clearly from other 

 species. These are notably the scales in the neck and body which are 48 and 54 

 respectively. These' numbers only accord with ccsrulescens and ocellata. The num- 

 ber of the ventrals (over 420) and imbricate character of the scales posteriorly are 

 sufficient to exclude both ccernlescens and ocellata. In general appearance it is ex- 

 tremely like fascial a. 



Description. — The portion visible above is about half the suture between the 

 nasals. Prefrontals, — touch the second labial. Post oculars, — one. Tem- 

 porals, — one anterior on the right side, two on the left. Supralabials , — seven, 

 none divided. Infralabials, — four, the fourth largest and in contact with three 

 scales behind ; the suture between the first pair subequal to that between the anterior 

 sublinguals Marginals, — one after the third infralabial. Sublinguals, — two 

 well developed pairs, the fellows of each in contact. Costals, — anterior 48 ? ' 

 midbody 54 ? ' posterior 45 ; imbricate everywhere. Ventrals, — exceed 420 (prob- 

 ably are 15 to 30 more, but the neck is rent), entire and about twice the breadth 

 of the last costal row everywhere. Colour, — head and neck black; body with 59 

 well defined annuli not confluent ventrally except in front, about as broad as the 

 interspaces at midcosta. 



Habitat. — Rangoon. 



Distira mamillaris (Boulenger, nee Daudin). 



Hydrophis fasciata, Giinther, Rept. Brit. Ind., 1864, p. 374, pi. xxv, fig. Q and Q'. 

 mamillaris Bonlgr. in Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Rept. and Batrach., 

 1890, p. 401, and Cat., 1896, iii, p. 277. 



A B 



Fig. 18. — Distira mamillaris, x 2. 



The name mamillaris originated with Daudin. who applied it to the original of 

 plate xliv of Russell's first volume. This plate, I consider, represents without doubt 

 the gracilis of Shaw as already mentioned under that species, so that the form now 

 under discussion has no right to this des : gnation. 



The type-specimen of the form referred to by Mr. Boulenger as mamillaris is, I 



1 The specimen is sodden, and the scales difficult to count with certainty. 



