SEA SNAKES IN THE INDIAN MUSEUM. 



285 



I. think there can be no doubt that Mr. Boulengeris in error in supposing the snake he 

 described as Distira gilkspia in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (Vol. XII, 

 p. 642) a new species. I have very carefully compared the plate accompanying his descrip- 

 tion, with that of Hydrophh canto is shown in Plate XIV of his Catalogue of Snakes in the 

 British Museum, Vol. Ill, and I have also carefully read his two descriptions side by side, 

 and find them practically identical. I have now examined 16 specimens of this snake, 

 and find that Mr. Boulenger's description of D. gilkspia perfectly accords with them, 

 except in the fewer number of the ventrals. My lowest number, viz.; 377, is however, 

 only 5 in excess of his specimen. As far as my experience goes, this is the only sea 

 snake in which the prefrontal touches the 3rd supralabial. The peculiar projecting snout, 

 and /"-shaped commissure of the mouth are also remarkable facial characteristics. 

 The absence of any marginal scales, and the juxtaposed character of the posterior 

 costals are also unusual features, and all are conspicuously well shown in the plate of 

 D. gilkspia. 



7. Hydrophis fasciatus (Schneid.). 



Hydrophis fasciatus, Blgr. Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., Vol. Ill, p. 281. 



,, „ Sc later, List Snakes Ind. Mus,, 1891, p. 63. Nos. 8257, 8259, 



8261, 8264, 8265, and 13393. 





Habitat. 



Donor. 



Scales. 





Museum 

 No. 



in 

 rg 



to 



a . 



1> T3 





lengths 

 t. 



Ventrals. 







r - 



2 g 

 H 



T3 

 O 



« 5 



•o > 



S £ 





8257 



Akyab 



A. Dunn ... ... 



30 



50 



Si 



470 



8259 



Hughli River .. 



? 



30 



48 



44 



483 



8261 



Puri 



Sir J. Fayrer 



30 



48 



46 



495 ? 



8264 



" 



)4 ,, ... ... 



29 



42 



44 



463 



8265 





,, ,, ... ... 



28 



44 



41? 



504 ? 



13393 



Bay of Bengal ... 



J. H. T. Walsh ... 



32 



50 



50 



480 



Rostral, — portion seen from above less than half the suture between the nasals. 

 Prefrontals touch the 2nd supralabials (in 2 specimens out of 10, they fail to do so). 

 Frontal, — the parietal sutures are largest, but not twice the prefrontals. Temporals, — 

 one large anterior which sometimes reaches the margin of the lip, succeeded by another 

 subequal shield, touching parietals. Marginals, — one, cuneate, between the 3rd and 



