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Show 686 MR. STANLEY S. FLOWER ON THE [May 16, Series Proteroglypha. Subfamily HYDROPHIINJE. Sea-snakes abound in the Straits of Malacca, in the China Sea, and in the Gulf of Siam ; those which frequent estuaries are caught from time to time in fishing-stakes, but we know very little of those which frequent the open sea. I find in my diary frequent references to seeing them; two such will suffice here:-"21.9.97. Off Borneo, approaching Labuan, in the afternoon from about 4 to 6 p.m. we saw many scores of sea-snakes. Every few minutes the steamer passed one, and sometimes there were two or three within a few yards of each other ; most were from one to two feet long, the largest perhaps as much as four feet. Judging from the colours, they were several different species. The extreme brilliancy of the colouring of some was very beautiful and remarkable; some were almost eutirely rich-golden yellow, others lemon-yellow; most had dark transverse bands of black or brown; some were green, banded alternately darker and lighter." " 3.5.98. Gulf of Siam. During the afternoon saw six sea-snakes, all apparently of the same species; size small; colour yellowish olive. They did not seem aware of the steamer's approach till her bows were a few yards from them ; then the snakes tried hard to swim away, wriggling on the surface, partly in and partly out of the water, but were of course quickly overtaken, and as soon as the spray from the steamer's fore-foot reached them they dived vertically downward." 183. HYDRUS PLATURUS (L.). Hydrus bicolor, Cantor, p. 135 (also pelamis, Cantor, p. 136 *?). Pelamis bicolor, Blanford, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 215. Hydrus platurus, Blgr. Cat. Snakes, iii. p. 267. Cantor obtained " a single individual taken in a fishing-stake off the coast of Province Wellesley," and it is recorded from Singapore by Blanford and by Hanitsch (Rep. Raffles Libr. & Mus. 1897, p. 10). The British Museum Catalogue mentions specimens from " Siam " and the " Gulf of Siam." Hab. Obok, Red Sea (Blgr. A. M . N . H . April 1897, p. 468), Indian Ocean, Straits of Malacca, the Tropical and Subtropical Pacific from the Loo Choo Islands to Australia and N e w Zealand, and from the Malay Archipelago to Central America. 184. HYDROPHIS OJERULESCENS (Shaw). Hydrophis ccerulescens, Blgr. Cat. Snakes, iii. p. 275. Hab. Bombay Coast, Bay of Bengal, Straits of Malacca. 185. HYDROPHIS NIGROCINCTUS Daud. Hydrophis nigrocinctus, Blgr. Cat. Snakes, iii. p. 277. Hab. Bay of Bengal and Straits of Malacca. |
