238 MAJOR F. WALL, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. 



lingual s, — two pairs , the posterior ill-developed and separated. Costal s, — anterior 

 45, midbody 58, posterior 56; imbricate anteriorly, juxtaposed posteriorly. Ven- 

 trals, — 290; entire and nearly twice the breadth of the last costal row throughout. 

 Colour, — yellowish with 31 black broad dorsal bars, alternating with narrow bars, all 

 rounded laterally. Several series of round spots costally very variable in size, and 

 capricious in distribution. 

 Habitat. — Australia. 



Distira major (Shaw). 



Hydrus major, Shaw, Zool., 1802, iii, p. 558, pi. cxxiv, in part. 

 Disteira doliata, Gunther j Rept. Brit. Ind., 1864, p. 359. 

 Hydrophis mentalis, Gray in Zool. Misc., 1842, p. 62, and Cat. 1849, P- 53- 

 ? Disteira dumerilii, Jan, Icon. Gen. f 1872, 39, pi. iv. 

 Hydrophis major, Giinther, loc. cit., p. 363, pi. xxv, fig. G. 



Distira major, Boulgr. in Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Rept. and Batrach., 1890, 

 p. 407, and Cat. Brit. Mns., 1896, iii, p. 289. 



Fig. 54.— Disiiya major. After Giinther, Rept. Brit. Ind , 1864. pi. xxv, fig. G. 



The only specimens I have seen are the five in the British Museum. In many 

 respects the species shows close affinities with Astrotia stokesi. 



Description. —Body anteriorly more than half the extreme depth posteriorly. 



Rostral, — the portion visible above about half the internasal suture. Pre- 

 frontals,— -touch the second supralabial. Postoculars, — two. (One on one side 

 in one example, and on both sides in one). Temporals, — two small superposed 

 scales anteriorly. Supr alabials, — eight or nine, the first four entire, the rest 

 variously divided ; the third and fourth touch the eye. Inf ralabials, — four, the 

 last in contact with three or four scales behind ; the suture between the first about 

 equal to that between the anterior sublinguals. Marginals, — a complete row after 

 the third infralabial. Sublinguals, — usually two pairs, the posterior fellows 

 separated. Sometimes one or both poorly developed. Cos tals, — anterior 31 to 35, 

 midbody 33 to 42, posterior 34 to 39; imbricate everywhere. Ventrals, — 233 to 

 250 (200 to 236, Boulenger). Mostly entire or many divided posteriorly; rather less 

 than twice as broad as the last costal row. Colour, — -yellowish ventrally with from 

 26 to 30 dorsal bars and sometimes an intermediate line : sometimes a series of costal 

 spots, alternate with the bars 



Habit a t.— With the exception of one from the Indian Ocean all are from Australia 



