■^ VENOMOUS :SEA SNAKES^ -^M. 



lind the fcales which cover it are fomewhat qF fa fqusre farm, snd fo 

 difpofcd as lo refemble ?n fome degree ihofe of a fifbj rhey »re all 

 marked by an abrupt middle carina — the fcakson the body are chieily 

 hexagonale and are carinated in the fame manner, thtile on the head 

 large and angular: along the lower part of ihe abdomen runs a pretty 

 (Ironoly marked carina, the fcales bemg not dilated into any appear- 

 ance of fcuts, bat merely marked by a middle line of divifion on the 

 very edge of the carina; the vent is furmunded by a row of large 

 flrong lengthened fcile o 



THE^-);^rwi mv/f^r is entirely a marine Tpecies, it is furnifhed on each 

 fide theupper jaw with a row of fm all teeth, one of which (two in 

 ■: thofe examined at Madras) is much larger than the rellj and on being 

 t examined is evidently tubularo 



HYDaUS GRACILIS. 

 H. Cofpore anterius graciliimi fqiM%>ms ovitis Ijev'^ns, po/lerius cra/fiore JqUd' 



m'S hexagoms abjupU truncatis, 

 Lbngth about twa feet, head very fraaH, and ccvered with large 

 fcales: neck and fore part of ihe body very {lender and cylindric for 

 the diftance of about (even inches when it begins to enlarge, and flat- 

 ten into a carina on the upper p>rt which is continueJ to the end of the 

 tail. The fle^nder part above mentioned is covered with ovate f mooth 

 Icales, the remainder of the animal with hexagonal mes, each marked 

 "wuh an al»rupt central carina. The tail is about an inch and three 

 q nrters long, fla% and obtufely acuminated but nA fo bread »s the 

 thickcll part of the body. 



The body is banded all along from the h^ad to the tail , with numrr- 

 ous, eqaidiflant daik and fom< whal obtufely pointed i>ands, reaching al- 

 in I'll to ihe abdomen, which wi h the intermediate fpaces is of a plea 



