gio squamis obtecta est pone rotundatis subtilissime vermculosis ; ani orificium semilunulare occurrit, mar- 
gine postico squamulis numerosis, angustis cinctum; cauda brevis, compressissima , trunco postico non 
altior, subito trigono-terminata, in apice extimo squama magna, juxta quam lateraliter utrinque alia tri- 
gona adest, terminata, squamis obsolete hexagonis, medio punctulo gibbo armaiis obsita; margo caudae 
superior ac inferior rectissimus, integerrimus est, non pellucidus. Scutella abdominalia 154. 
Colo7\ Caput flavum, macula lata a scutorum frontalium posticorum margine postico usque ad 
nucham extensa ac taenia supra oris angulum incipiens, infra oculos et arcuata ante nares supra rostrum 
ducta nigricantes; scutum iabiale ac scuta mentalia olivascenti-lavata ; dorsum totum laete olivascenti - vi- 
ride squamarum limbo subtili nigricante, ejus latera ac abdomen laete sulphureo - fiava , exceptis scu- 
tellorum abdominis serie schistaceo-atra ac fasciis ante caudam duabus penultimis flavis rubro - lavatis ; 
cauda tota schistaceo - aterrima , unicolor; truncus ab occipite usque ad caudae basin cingitur annuHs 44 
angustiusculis schistaceo-atris per interstitia aequalia diremtis; in utroque margine integerrimi, subtus 
vero abdominali linea schistaceo-atra dissecta sunt; annuli utplurimum in dorso medio ac versus scutella 
abdominaHa pauHo latiores sunt quam ad latera; in spina dorsi adsunt inter fascias, in medio interstitii 
oHvaceo - virescentis , maculae schistaceo - atrae , prima pone occiput conspicua; maculae hae utplurimum 
rotundae sunt, mox majores mox minores; raro versus truncum infimum in fasciolam eUipticam verguntj 
omnium minimae sunt in medio trunci ; irides . . . ? 
Proportio corporis partium e mensura. Longitudo a rostri apice usque ad caudae finem 
17", caudae soHuS 1" 4'//", capitis 7'"; ambitus capitis immediate pone nares 10"V pone oculos 1", 
occipitis 1", coUi supremi 1", trunci in medio 1" 5"', prope anum 1"; cauda ad basin alta est 3%'", 
in medio et ante apicem 4'". 
Habitatio et vitae ratio. Indiam orientalem inhabitat. 
OBSERVATIONES. Specimen piirissimae conservationis nunc descriptiim, communicatum ab amico venerato 
BoiLJLEAUD y inspectore summo in rehiis navalibus in Portu Gratiae, adest in mea amphibiorum collec- 
iione. Hoc ex India orientali allatum Jiiisse dixit amicus. — Color ruber prope caudae basin mox palles- 
cebat^ reliquus hucusque restahat epidermide detrita fasciae schistaceo • nigrae aterrimae Jmnt. Shawii 
Hjrdrus spiralis (Gen. Zool. /^.5. T". 2. p. 564. t. 125) nisi eadem, attamen species perquam ajfinis similis- 
que est. De Hj^ dr ophe mel anuro sequentibus characteribus potissimum discedere videtur. In Hydro 
spirali trunci color universalis Jlavus est ; truncus vero cingitur annulis intense castaneo-Juscis ; inter 
quos quidem annulos adsunt maculae rotundae concolores , in trunco medio (.^) incipientes , alternantes ; cau- 
da lata nigra gerit prope basin Jlavas maculas; margines ipsius quoque sunt subpellucidi. — Ad amplio- 
rem vero comparationem Angli ipsa verba ponam: Yellowish Hydrus with brown hands, lon- 
gitudinally confluent beneath. Its length is about two Jeet , and its habit slender : the body much 
compressed thronghout ; the back rising into a very sharp carina {in Hy^ drophe mel anur o non conspi- 
cuaj; the abdomen being also carinated, but having a flattened edge oj scales somewhat wider than the rest, and 
measuring about thejifteenth oj an inch in diameter: the head is small, and covered with large scales : the 
moude wide ; tUe scales on the whole animal moderately small, ovate and slightly carinated: the ground 
colour isyellow , barred in a beautjul manner Jrom head to tail with deep chesnust -brown or blackish Jas- 
ciae, each widening on the abdomen , and thus Jorming a highly^ distinct and handsome pattern when vie- 
wed on each side seeming to consiitute so many large, round, yellow spots on a blackish ground: the hack, 
at about the middle , is marked, along its upper part, with a row oj rather large , round, hlackish spots 
situated hetween thejasciae, and so placed as to be in some parts on one side, and in others on the opposite 
side oj the dorsal carina; while some Jew are seated on the middle oj the ridge itselj: this variegation is 
continued io the tail, which is ahout an inch and three quarters long , hlack or deep hrown, with a Jew 
yellow patches towards iis biginning : it is remarkahly bj^oad for the size oj the animal, and very thin 
on ihe edges , so as io be semitransparent on those parts ; the carina on the back is so sharp as to surpass in 
this respeci every other species oj serpent. — • In Hy drophe melanuro dissectio mihi nullum ostende- 
hat extremitaiis posticae vestigium. 
