286 



CAPTAIN' F. WALL ON 



4th infralabials. Infralabiah, — four. Suture between the first greater than that between 

 the anterior sublinguals ; the 4th is the largest, and in contact with 3 or 4 scales posterior- 

 ly. Sublinguals, — two well-developed pairs both in contact. Costa/s, — imbricate 

 throughout. 



Young specimens of this snake are extremely like young examples of H. gracilis, 

 and the new species I am here describing, H. melanocinctus, in colour and markings. 

 All have completely black heads, black annuli on the body which are confluent ventrally, 

 especially in the neck and forebody. 



8. Hydrophis obscurus Daud. 



Hydrophis obscurus. Blgr. Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., Vol. Ill, p. 284. 



„ ., Sc later, List Snakes Ind. Mus., 1891, p. 63, Nos. 8254, 8256, 



8262. 

 Distira lapemidoides, Wall and Evans in Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. Vol. XIII, 



pp. 346 and 615. 









Scales. 







<*> 





tn 











-c 





-C 















-*J 











bo 





60 





M useum 

 No, 



Habitat. 



Donor. 



C T3 



Midbody. 



Two head's-len 

 before vent. 



Ventral s. 



825+ 



- 



? 



37 



50 



37 



584 



8256 



Hugli River 



H. L. Haughton 



35 



44 



38 



387 



8262 



5) ••• ... 



J. Anderson 



36 



45 



41 



43o 



14234 



Naraingunge 



H. S. Peter 



33 



42 



35 



39 2? 



'42 35 



„ 



Jl • •• *•• 



32 



4* 



34 



395? 



14692 



Dhainra R., Chandballv dist. 



H. W. Peal 



37 



46 



36 



419 



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

 the nasals. Prcefrontals touch the 2nd supralabial. Frontal, — the parietal sutures 

 longest, but not twice the prefrontals. Temporals, — one large (two in one specimen), 

 with another subequal shield behind, touching the parietals. Marginals, — one, small, 

 cuneate, between the 3rd and 4th infralabials. Infralabials, — four. Suture between 

 the first subequal to that between the anterior sublinguals ; the 4th largest, and in 

 contact with 3 scales behind. Sublinguals, — two well-developed pairs, both in contact. 

 Costah, — imbricate throughout. 



