HYDR0PHID7E. 
27 
Hydrophis nigrocincta. 
Hydrophis nigrocinctus, Baud. 
Enhydris nigrocinctus, 111 err. 
“ Head small; neck slender, its length being about one-fourth 
of the total; body moderately elongate. Rostral shield rather 
broader than long; only the fourth upper labial forms the 
lower part of the orbit ; two post-oculars ; three temporal 
shields on the side of each occipital. Two pairs of chin-shields, 
the anterior of which are in contact with each other. Twenty- 
seven to twenty-nine series of scales round the neck. Scales 
imbricate, rhombic, keeled, those on the highest part of the 
body as broad as long. Ventrals distinct, not quite twice as 
broad as the scales of the adjoining series, smooth, 320-331 
in number. Four large anal shields. The tail terminates in a 
large scale. The trunk is encircled by 43—(53—) 61 complete 
rings of black colour. The width of these rings is equal on the 
sides and on the belly; on the vertebral line only they are a 
little broader ; they are narrower than the interspaces, which 
occupy from four to five transverse series of scales, whilst a 
black ring occupies only three. The interspaces are greenish- 
olive on the back, yellowish on the sides and on the belly. 
The crown of the head and the upper lip are blackish, a yellow 
band running along the whole upper margin of the head ; lower 
jaw whitish. Tail with from nine to eleven black cross bars.” 
Hydrophis ciiloris. 
Hydropliis chloris, Baud. 
„ obscura, Gray. 
? „ gracilis. Cantor. 
“ Head very small, of moderate width ; neck very slender, the 
length of the thin part of the body being more than one-third 
of the total. Rostral shield very small, much broader than 
long; one post-ocular ; the third upper labial is not in contact 
with the nasal. Two pairs of chin-shields, in contact with 
each other. Thirty-one to thirty-three series of scales round 
the neck; scales on the back with a faint keel, and with a 
small tubercle near the apex. Ventral shields distinct, espe¬ 
cially on the thin portion of the body, but not much larger 
than the scales of the adjoining series, 473-500 in number. 
Four anal shields, the outer of which are very large. Trunk 
greenish-olive above, yellowish on the side and below: from 
fifty-nine to sixty-seven rhombic blackish bands across the back, 
which are much narrower and fainter on the sides, and extend 
round the belly ; their angles on the vertebral line are some¬ 
times confluent, especially on the anterior part of the body, 
where the yellowish ground-colour between the cross-bands is 
sometimes reduced to round spots disposed in pairs. Head and 
anterior part of the belly entirely black. Young specimens 
have the markings of a deep black.” 
Hydrophis coronata. 
Hydrophis hardwickii, Gray. 
„ fasciata, Gray. 
“ Head very small, twice as long as broad; neck very slender, 
its length being more than one-third of the total. Rostral 
shield small, broader than long; one post-ocular; the third 
upper labial is not in contact with the nasal. Two pairs of 
chin-shields, which are in contact with each other. Nineteen 
to twenty-three series of scales round the neck. Scales im¬ 
bricate : those on the highest part of the body higher than 
long, those on the sides with a small tubercle, those on the 
back with a keel. Ventral shields very distinct, nearly twice 
as large as the scales of the adjoining series, 321-337 in number, 
each with two small tubercles. Four anal shields, the outer of 
which are rather larger than the others. Trunk with from 
fifty-three to fifty-nine complete blackish rings, which are 
broader than the interspaces of the yellowish-olive ground¬ 
colour. Head and ventral side of the thin neck-like portion of 
the body black; the former with a yellow horseshoe-shaped 
mark across the frontals and nasals, and extending backwards 
over the superciliary edge to the temple. Tail with ten or 
eleven blackish cross bars.” 
Hydrophis stricticollis. 
“ Head narrow, elongate, not quite twice as long as broad ; 
body slender, especially in its anterior portion. Two pairs of 
chin-shields, both of which are in contact with each other. 
Only one anterior temporal, which is as high as long. One 
post-ocular. Thirty-four series of scales round the neck. Ventral 
shields distinct, but only the anterior are twice as broad as the 
scales of the adjoining series; they are 398 in number. Six 
small prse-anal shields. Scales smooth in young specimens. 
Body with fifty-five blackish rings, not quite as broad as the 
yellowish ground-colour between them ; they are rather broader 
and darker on the back than on the belly, and sometimes sub¬ 
interrupted in the vertebral and ventral line. Head yellow 
above, with irregular blackish confluent spots ; whitish below. 
Tail with eleven blackish vertical bars.” 
Hydrophis curta. 
Hydras curtus, Skatv. 
Lapemis curtus, Gray. 
Hydrophis propinquus, Jan. 
“ Head short, thick, obtuse ; anterior part of the body stout; 
body not elongate. The occipital shields are always divided 
into two or more pieces, or entirely broken up into small 
shields. Two pairs of chin-shields, separated in the middle by 
small gular scales. Only one post-ocular. Thirty to thirty- 
four series of scales round the neck; 209-252 scales in a lateral 
series between the angle of the mouth and the vent. Ventral 
shields nearly twice as broad as the scales of the adjoining 
series, 156-160 in number? Four small prse-anal shields. Fifty 
to fifty-three black bands across the back; they are broadest in 
the middle, nearly touching each other, and tapering on the 
sides; the yellowish ground-colour between them does not 
occupy more space than the bands. Generally the bands do 
not extend downwards to the belly, but sometimes they are 
continued as faint traces to the ventral shields, which are white, 
or, in the specimens with longer cross bands, blackish. A more 
or less distinct yellowish streak on the temple. Tail black, 
with only two yellow transverse spots at its root.” 
Hydrophis crassicollis (n. s.), Anderson. 
“ Head hardly distinct from the neck. Neck and body of 
nearly equal girth throughout. Round neck 2" 2"' ; round 
middle of body 2" 9"'. Body elongated ; 34 series of scales 
round the neck ; 40 round the middle of body. Scales almost 
smooth on the neck and anterior third of the body, tw T o feeble 
keel-like tubercles, one before the other, very obscure, but 
more strongly developed on the two posterior thirds. Ventrals 
twice the size of the adjoining scales, quite smooth, broken 
up here and there, on the posterior five-eighths of the body. 
Two pairs of anal shields, the central pair of moderate size, 
elongated, the external pair very large. The vertical is pointedly 
linguate. One prie-, and two post-oculars. The third, fourth, 
and fifth labials enter the orbit, on one side, but only the third 
and the fourth on the opposite side, the fifth being transversely 
divided into two shields which do not reach quite as high as 
the orbital margin. Two pairs of large chin-shields, the an¬ 
terior pair quadrangular and the posterior pair rather elongated. 
Olive yellow above, yellowish on the scales and under surface, 
62 broad black bands on the back contracting to a point on 
the sides, but prolonged very indistinctly on to them, and 
the ventral aspect, where they expand as a large blackish spot. 
Near the tail the dorsal bands become connected together, and 
