49 
Cuvier says that this genus has no spurs, hut the speci¬ 
men in the British Museum shews them distinctly. 
The Sea-Snakes (Hydrus) are easily known by their 
compressed form, narrow ventral shields, and vertically 
flattened tail. These reptiles, which are peculiar to the 
seas of Asia and New Holland, are in some degree 
poisonous, many of the species having small fangs, dis¬ 
persed amongst the true teeth. Some have a small 
head and the body covered with scales (HydrophisJ, 
as the larger Sea-Snake (Hydrus major) ; the others 
have a large head and broad neck, and the body 
covered with embedded square plates, placed in longi¬ 
tudinal series ; as the Banded Sea-Snake (Pelamis fas- 
ciatus), and the two-coloured Sea-Snake (Pelamis 
bicolor). 
The Achrochordus has the habits and many of the 
characters of the Sea-Snakes; but its body and head 
are covered with rough granular scales, and its tail is 
conical. It is found in the rice-fields of India. The 
Chersydrus has the scales of the Achrochordus, but the 
tail is compressed, as in the other Sea-Snakes. 
The Cases 14 and 15, between the windows, contain 
Dry Specimens of Reptiles. 
On the upper Shelves are specimens of the Indian 
and African Crocodiles, and the Gavial, or Long-beaked 
Crocodile of the Ganges. 
On the lower Shelves are a series of Tortoises, ar¬ 
ranged after the same order as the specimens in spirits 
in Case No. 1. Among them are the Serpentine Tor¬ 
toises (Testudo serpentina), which unite with the form 
of the Tortoises, several of the characters of the Croco¬ 
diles, as the large head, and the long tail with elevated 
ridges; also species of Land Tortoises, as the Indian 
Tortoise (Testudo indica) and the Radiated Tortoise 
(Testudo radiata) ; the American Box Tortoise (Tes¬ 
tudo clausa) ; many species of Terrapin (Emys) from 
America and India ; some very young Turtles (Chelo - 
nia); and the head of a very large specimen from the 
Indian Ocean. 
e In 
ROOM X. 
Nat. Hist. 
