NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 343 



35. A. antarctica Wagler. Boa antarctica Shaw. Acanthophis cerasti- 

 nus, Daud. Hist. Rept. 1803. 



Superior maxillary bone elongated posteriorly, not compressed, rounded oa 

 its outer face ; the ectopterygoid curves inward and articulates with it ob- 

 liquely. The'fang is long, with a delicate groove on its anterior face, extend- 

 ing from the basal to the terminal orifice. Behind it there are two small 

 greatly recurved solid teeth, the last upon the very edge of the articulation 

 with the ectopterygoid, and both' are concealed by the integuments. 



In an undoubted and beautiful specimen of this snake, received from the 

 Garden of Plants, Paris, these characters are distinct. Hence we feel assured 

 that its true position is in the family Najidse, and that Pseudechis and Hoplo- 

 cephalus are its natural allies. Thus, while so large a proportion of Austra- 

 lia's mammals are Marsupials her birds, Raptores, Psittaci and Cursores ; 

 her mollusca, Braehiopods ; her lizards, Scinks* etc. her venomous serpents 

 are all Najida? ; nor has she a solitary example of the higher Viperidaa. 



Hoplocephalps, Cuvier. 

 Regne Animal, ii. p. 95. Alecto, Dum. & Bibr. 1854. (Not of Wagler, 

 1830, the type of whose genus is Trimeresurus leptocephalus, Lacep.) 



36. H. pallidiceps Gray (?) var. 



Scales in fifteen longitudinal rows. Superior labials six, second and third 

 truncated above. Two inferior labials in contact with the inframaxillaries, 

 (three in curtus.) Row of scales next the scuta yellow at their bases, moie 

 conspicuous anteriorly. Beneath, yellowish olive, more yellow anteriorly. 

 Head above, uniform deep olive brown ; the vertical plate is nearly as broad 

 as long, and much depressed. The muzzle is broad and rounded. Body 

 above deep olive brown. Where the epidermis is lost, olive-yellow transverse 

 bands, about two half scales in Width, alternating with the darker, which 

 occupies a width of one scale and a half, appear, but they are very indistinct ; 

 obsolete anteriorly. 



One spec. Australia. Gard. of Plants. (As Alecto cu ta.) 



Our specimen approaches very near to the pallidiceps Gray, but its identity 

 cannot be established without additional examples. 



Sepedon Cuvier. 

 E. An. ii., 86. 



37. S. hsra achates Merrem. 



One sp. Cape of Good Hope. Garden of Plants. 



One sp. " " Dr. Wilson. 



Naja Laurenti. 

 Specimen, p. 90. 



38. N. h aj e Merr. One sp. Garden of Plants. 

 Var. melanoleuca Halloicett. Four sp. Gaboon. Dr. H. A. Ford. 



39. N. tripudians Merr. Var. with the spectacle-like marks. 



One sp. Bengal. W. Jones. 



Three sp. ? ? 



Var. uniform brown, without the spectacle-like marks. 

 One sp. Java. Dr. Ruscbenberger. 



Var. scopinucba nob. Light brown, annulated with narrow white rings, 

 which are not continued upon the pale brown belly. Throat nearly white, with 

 a black annulation covering from the fourteenth to the seventeenth gastros'eges. 

 The back of the neck black, with a white circle, emarginate in front, and having 

 a central black spot, with a small dot on each side of it. 

 One sp. Canton River. Dr. W. S. W. Ruschenberger. 



A specimen nearly similar to this singular variety, brought from China by 

 Mr. Gernaert, came under the notice of the authors of the Erpetologie Geuerait. 

 and is described vii., p. 1297. 



1859.] 25 



