812 DESCRIPTION OF TWO NEW SPECIES OF SNAKES, 



hitherto seen, that it is with some reluctance that I place it under 

 that genus. The other snake is of the Family Pythonidcc and is 

 I think not a full grown specimen. Both species are probably 

 inhabitants of the great plains of the interior only, as they differ 

 very much from the species usually found in the coast and 

 mountain country of Australia. 



DlEMENIA FEROX. 



Scales in 23 rows. 

 Anal plates 2. 

 Abdominal plates 235. 

 Subcaudal plates j :!,' . 

 Total length 82 inches. 

 Length of head If inch. 

 Length of tail 12. 



Body cylindrical and moderately robust ; tail tapering and 

 rather short. Head short, broad, rather depressed and very 

 broadly rounded at the muzzle. The rostral shield is broad and 

 low ; the anterior frontals are very much smaller than the 

 posterior, the lateral angle of these touches the second labial 

 shield between the anterior ocular and nasal shields ; the vertical 

 shield is rounded and narrowed behind, and is longer than its 

 width at the base ; the supereiliaries are shorter and narrower 

 than the vertical ; the anterior ocular is large and divided 

 throughout by a very deep longitudinal groove ; the lower 

 posterior ocular is elongate, the last upper labial is very large. 

 The scales are small and convex behind the head, becoming more 

 elongate on the body, those nearest the ventral plates being 

 much broader, but always loss broad than in other species of 

 Diemenia. The colour of the head and all the body except the 

 abdominal and subcaudal plates, is of a glossy black, the ventral 

 surface is of a yellowish- white. The poison fang is large and on 

 each side of the lower jaw there is a series of long sharp tooth. 



