THE ORDER OF SNAKES— OPZT/D/.i. 7 



Thousands of snakes have heen ohtained in this way, presented to 

 the Museum, and thence transmitted to other institutions. The collectors 

 have hecome interested in the pursuit, and are able at a glance to determine 

 the character of their prey ; and, happily, not the slightest accident has 

 occurred to any of them during the course of eight years. 



"With the knowledge of these facts, timid persons may ease their 

 minds, and rest assured that from May till September they will seldom 

 encounter venomous reptiles in the scrub. The larger and more dangerous 

 species, such as the Black Snake [Pseudechis porphyriacus), the Brown 

 Snake {Biemenia superciUosa), the Brown-banded Snake {Jloplocephalus 

 curtiis), the Broad-scaled Snake {Soplocephaliis supei-bus), and the Death 

 Adder {Acanthopjhis antarctica), always retire under ground, only a few 

 young specimens being found under stones. 



The geographical distribution of snakes is very extensive. They 

 inhabit almost every country from the south of Sweden and Siberia to 

 Tasmania. None have as yet been recorded from New Zealand ; but they 

 inhabit Ireland — a fact which is perhaps not generally known. India, 

 America, and tropical Africa, appear to be the strongholds of the highly 

 venomous species ; and in these countries only the dangerous Rattlesnakes, 

 Copper-heads, Puff Adders, and Lance-heads, are met with — aU of which 

 have very long movable fangs, and belong to genera which are not found 

 in Australia. 



Our Death Adder is the nearest approach to the Viper, but its fangs 

 are permanently erect, and its bite is not nearly so dangerous as that of the 

 above-mentioned species. 



The Death Adder is only found in the warmer parts of Australia, 

 and not in Tasmania, South Victoria, or South-west Australia. 



Only three species of snakes inhabit Tasmania, though foreign 

 naturalists enumerate many more. Tasmanians distinguish the " Diamond 

 Snake" [Hojilocephalits superb/is), the " Carpet Snake," and "Black Snake" 

 {Hoplocephaliis curtiis), and the " Whip Snake" {Iloplocephalus coronoides) . 

 The first is identical with the Continental Hoplocephalus superhiis. The 



