OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 35 



Python amethystinus, Daud. Rept. 5, p. 230 ; Merrem, 89 ; 

 Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 178, 419, 1. 15, figs. 8-10. 



Constrictor amethystinus, Boie, Tsis XX. 516. 



In the description given of this species by Dumeril and Bibron, 

 the scales on the body are said to be in 47 rows, and on the tail 

 in 27. In my largest specimen there are 45 on the body and 

 only 10 on the tail. There is also a difference in the number of 

 the abdominal and subcaudal shields. According to Dumeril and 

 Bibron, the abdominals are from 303 to 316, and the subcaudals 

 from 85 to 86 ; while I find them to be, abdominals 325, subcau- 

 dals 119-119. Notwithstanding this apparently wide dissimilarity, 

 I have no doubt they belong to one and the same species. 



The collection contains several specimens from Darnley Island 

 and Hall Sound. One of those captured at the latter place 

 measured 14 feet in length, and was of great thickness. 



Family HOMALOPSID^E. 



3.— Fordonia Papuensis. 



I place this species in Gunther's genus Fordonia, because it 

 seems to fit better into it than into any other genus of the Horn- 

 alopsidce, and I wish to avoid the multiplication of genera, but I 

 must observe that the generic character, " eyes over the third 

 labial shield," does not at all apply to the present species. The 

 head is oval and moderately flat ; the anterior frontal shield is 

 longer than broad, and is rounded behind and separates for some 

 distance the two posterior frontals ; the eye is very small, and 

 does not come into contact with any labial shield, being com- 

 pletely surrounded by the anterior and two posterior ocular 

 shields, and the superciliary, which is very small. There are five 

 upper labial shields, all higher than long, excepting the last. 

 The body is stout, cylindrical, and tapering at the tail. Scales 

 in 22 series ; abdominal shields 147, subcaudals 32-32, some of 

 them sometimes single. Anal plate bifid. Total length, 2 feet ; 

 length of tail, 3 inches. Colour, bluish-brown above getting 

 lighter on the sides, and yellow beneath. 



Several specimens were got at Katow. 



