24 
THE THANATOPHIDIA OF INDIA. 
is 49 inches in length, of which the tail measures 3f inches, 
4 in girth of body, and 2 j : in girth of neck. The first ap¬ 
pearance of the snake is not unlike that of Bung arus fasciatus, 
from its black and yellow ringed markings. 
Platurus has several characters like those of the land snakes. 
The tail is not prehensile. The ventral shields are like those 
of the land snakes. Body is subcylindrical, and not com¬ 
pressed like the Hydrophidce. The scales of the body are 
imbricate, smooth, 19-25 series. There are two series of sub- 
caudals. The shields of the head are regularly disposed; two 
pairs of frontals, with an azygos shield between the hind pair. 
The eye is small. The nostrils are lateral in a single nasal 
shield ; no loreal; one prse- and two post-oculars; seven upper 
labials, the third and fourth of which enter the orbit ; tem¬ 
porals scale-like. The throat has two pairs of chin shields 
anteriorly, and scales posteriorly. The tail is longer and 
thicker in males than in females. The anal is bifid. The 
poison fang is short, a single small tooth is sometimes found 
behind the fang. 
Platurus soutatus. 
Coluber laticaudatus, L. Mus. Ad. Fried. 
Laticauda scutata. Lanr. Syn. Bept.; Cantor Mai. Bept. 
Hydrus colubrinus, Schneider. 
Platurus fasciatus, Latr. Bept. 
Hydrophis colubrinus, Schley. 
Gunther’s description of this species is : — 
“ Generally an azygos shield between the posterior frontals ; 
scales of the front part of the trunk in twenty-one or twenty- 
three longitudinal series; ventral shields from 213-241. 
Body surrounded by from twenty-five to fifty black rings. 
Crown of the head black; the first and second black mark of 
the head and neck are joined below by a black longitudinal 
hand, commencing from the chin ; snout and side of the head 
yellow, with a black band running through the eye.” 
It is common in the Bay of Bengal, and grows to five feet or 
more. 
Platurus fischeri, Jan. 
Giinther’s description is as follows : — 
“ No azygos shield between the posterior frontals ; scales of 
the front part of the trunk in nineteen longitudinal series ; 
ventral shields 232-241. Trunk surrounded by from thirty- 
three to thirty-six black rings, which are broader than the 
interspaces. A black band crosses the occiput and extends 
forward over the vertical plate and over the lower jaw, but, 
generally, it is not confluent with the next following ring. 
Upper part of the snout yellow ; upper labials black.” 
Of eight specimens examined by Gunther, the largest was 
only 30 inches long. 
I am indebted to Dr. J. Anderson, Curator of the Indian 
Museum, for the following description of the fine specimen in 
that Museum previously alluded to, which he considers to be B. 
fischeri, with some slight difference from Gunther’s description. 
“ The specimen which I provisionally refer to this species has 
nineteen rows of smooth scales round the fore part of the trunk, 
in longitudinal series, and 235 ventrals. There is no azygos 
shield between the posterior frontals, and in all of these cha¬ 
racters it agrees with this species. But on comparing the 
head with Gunther’s drawing, I find that the anterior frontals 
in my specimen differ from it, in being long and pointed 
anteriorly, and considerably larger than the posterior pair, and 
in the vertical being proportionally larger than in P. fischeri, 
and the occipitals larger and more pointed. It has one pra¬ 
am! two post-oculars, and the third and fourth labials are below 
the eye. Two pairs of large chin shields, the posterior shields 
with a large scale between their posterior extremities. It also 
differs from P. fischeri in having fifty-six black rings round the 
trunk instead of thirty-six, but I do not attach much im¬ 
portance to this, as P. scutatus shows about an equal variation; 
but at the same time, Gunther’s statement that his eight 
specimens show the same assemblage of characters as laid down 
in his description, and the occurrence of fifty-six rings in my 
specimen, suggest that their multiplicity is either due to 
greater age (it measures forty-nine inches in length) or to 
variation. The head too is wholly black, with the exception of 
a yellow band from the posterior margin of one eye to the 
other. The upper surface is olive green, and the sides and 
belly rich dark gamboge yellow, and the fifty-six rings are in¬ 
tensely bluish black, and the scales generally have a very 
bright shining lustre.” 
From Tolly’s nullah, a tidal stream, Calcutta. 
If this form should prove to be new, I would indicate it as 
P. afiinis. New species, Anderson. 
ENTIYDBINA, Gray. 
Gunther says there is only one species in this genus, which 
differs only from Hydrophis in the deep cleft in the lower* jaw, 
where the mandibles do not unite, and the fold of integument 
connecting them forms a deep notch. 
Dr. Stoliczka ( Journal Asiatic Society, No. iii., 1870, p. 213), 
says that there are two species of Enhydrina— FJ. bengalensis. 
Gray, or F. valalcadyen, Boie, and H. schistosa, Daud. 
Russell, in his Indian Serpents, describes two species: 
“Valakadyen” and “Hooghly Pattee,” as called by the natives. 
Dr. Stoliczka considers that these are really distinct species, 
the latter being very much less common than the former—- 
no specimen at that time existing in the Indian Museum. In 
coloration they resemble each other, but Dr. Stoliczka says, 
“ The II. schistosa is more slender, and its tail proportionally 
less in length; the head more ovately prolonged, and the 
gape wider; the shields of the head are consequently more 
elongated. The body is more compressed; the scales on it 
are along the back much elongated, imbricated, and carinated 
on the sides,” more oval or hexagonal and less distinctly 
keeled round the middle : they vary in from sixty-six to seventy 
longitudinal series. 
Other naturalists, I believe, consider that there is only one 
species, and that E. schistosa is merely a variety. 
Giinther’s description is as follows :— 
Enhydrina bengalensis. 
Valakadyen, Bussell. 
Hydrus valakadyn, Boie. 
Hydrophis schistosa (not Baud) Schley; Fischer; Bum. 
8f Bib. 
Hydrus schistosus. Cantor. 
Hydrophis bengalensis; H. subfasciata, Gray. 
Enhydrina bengalensis; E. valakadyen. Gray. 
Thalassophis werneri, Schmidt. 
“ Head rather short, of moderate width; neck and body 
moderately elongate. Rostral shield very small, lobuliform, 
its projecting point fitting into a corresponding cavity of the 
lower jaw; the fourth upper labial shield below the eye; 
mental shield very narrow and long, situated in a groove ; an¬ 
terior lower labials much elongate ; throat covered with scales, 
without shields. One post-ocular, sometimes divided into two. 
Neck surrounded by forty-eight series of scales. Scales 
scarcely imbricate, hexagonal, each provided with a short keel; 
ventral shields not, or but little, different from the scales of the 
adjoining series; they are 284-314 in number. Terminal scale 
of the tail rather large. The young has broad black rhombic 
bands across the back, which become fainter with age, and 
finally disappear entirely.” 
The fang of Enhydrina is short, but well marked ; the groove 
is open part of its length but not throughout. The body is 
