294 



CAPTAIN F. WALL ON 

 I 8. DlSTIRA HENDERSONII Blgr. 



Distira hendersonii, Blgr. in Journ. Bomb, Nat. Hist. Soc, Vol. XIV, p. 719, and 



plate. 

 Hydrophis nigrocinctus, Sclatcr, List Snakes Ind. Mies. 1891, p. 63, No. 8240. 

 Distira cyanocinctus, Wall and Evans in Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. XIII, p. 



Scales. 



Ventrals. 



Loreals. 



Praeocs. 



Temporals. 



Labials. 



t\t 1 a Museum 

 Marginals. Age. Nq 



3i 



43 



42 



338 



1 



2 



4 (L) 



3 (R) 



9 (4) (R) 

 8(4)(L) 



2 



Adult 



8240 



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

 nasals. Prefrontals touch no supralabial. Frontal, — parietal sutures twice, or more 

 than twice the prefrontals. Temporals, — two or three anterior. The upper moderate, 

 followed by another subequal shield, and two small, all touching the parietal. Margi 

 nals, — one normally, between the 3rd and 4th infralabials. Infralabials, — suture 

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

 contact with three or four scales behind. Sublinguals, — two well-developed pairs, the 

 posterior separated by two scales. Costals, — imbricate everywhere. 



I have examined three specimens which compare almost exactly with the type plate. 

 Two of these were obtained before the snake was described as a new species by Mr. 

 Boulenger. 



It is the only sea snake I believe with a genuine loreal shield. As an unusual 

 occurrence a pseudo-loreal exists in certain specimens of Enhydrina valakadycn, Distira 

 cvanocincta, etc., but it is obvious in these cases that this shield is a fragment of the naSal 

 detached by sutures running from the nostril. The supralabials are very irregular, the 

 3rd, 3rd and 4th, or 4th alone may touch the eye, or none at all owing to being broken up. 

 Other unusual features are the failure of the prefrontals to touch a supralabial, the 

 undue length of the fronto-parietal suture which is twice that of the fronto-prsefrontal, 

 and the separation of the posterior sublinguals. 



There is an extraordinarily close resemblance between this snake and Hydrophis 

 nigrocinctus, so far as head and body markings and colours are concerned. 



As the snake is evidently rare, I add the details of the specimens obtained by Evans 

 and me in Burmah from Moungmya and Watiya. 



Scales. 



Ventrals 



Loreals 



Praeocs. 



Templs. 



Labials* 



Marginals! Length. 



34"5 42 42 

 33 ? 467 



325 

 325 



1 (L) 



(R) 



1 



1 

 3 (L) 



2(L) 



3 

 3 



8(34)(R) 

 8 (3) (L) 

 9(0) 



1 

 1 



39i" 

 4-4" 



* Bracketed figures touch Eye. 



