THE ORDER OF SNAKES— 0PiZ7Z>JJ. 11 



this account they are designatod as Venomous Colubvine Snakes, and form 

 the second suborder of snakes." All our Australian venomous serpents 

 belong to this suborder (except the "Death Adder," Acanthophis antarctica, 

 which occupies an intermediate position between the venomous colubrine 

 snakes and the venomous snakes properly so called). 



Tlie third group or suborder is formed by those reptiles which have 

 an exceedingly long venom fang, with a perfectly closed and externally 

 invisible channel in its interior. The American Rattlesnake, the African 

 Puff Adder, and other highly venomous serpents, may be mentioned as 

 examples of this group. To give some idea of the relative size of the 

 venom fangs in snakes of the third or viperine suborder, we refer to plate 

 Yl, fig. 1, which represents the skull of the American Rattlesnake ( Crotahis 

 durissus), whUst fig. 2 represents that of the Australian Black Snake {Pseii- 

 dechis porphyriacus). The fangs of the latter are scarcely large enough to 

 penetrate common cloth or leather; they do not pierce ordinary bush boots, 

 as has been frequently proved by experiment. If plate V, fig. 1 (the skull 

 of the harmless Diamond Snake) be compared with the two previous figures, 

 it will be seen at a glance where lies the difference between a venomous and 

 a harmless serpent. The third suborder has no representatives in Australia. 

 Owing to a limited power of locomotion, snakes are very mu.ch restricted 

 in their habitat ; and, thovigh rich in the number of species, Australia has 

 but few genera of Ophidian reptiles, when compared with other countries 

 in the same latitude. The four Blind Snakes, two Colubrides, two Fresh 

 Water Snakes, and three Tree Snakes, belong to genera which are not 

 peculiarly Australian ; while the six species of Rock Snakes are not found 

 beyond this region — ^that is, not in India or the islands of the Archipelago ; 

 Timor, New Ireland, and the Fiji Group, being the extreme northern limits of 

 their geographical distriljution. Twenty-three species constitute the whole 

 of the Australian non-venomous snakes; and, not counting the Blind Snakes, 

 we have but five harmless Ophidians in New South "Wales. The second 

 suborder, comprising the Venomous Colubrine Snakes, is, however, very 

 large ; and forty-two well-defined Australian species are known at present. 

 Nearly all the larger kinds have the power of dilating the skin of the neck, 

 and resemble in this respect the Hooded Snakes or " Najas" of India. 

 The Brown-banded Snake [Hoplocephalus mirtus), the Large-scaled Snake 

 [Hoploeephalns superbus), the Black Snake {Pseudechls povphijriacus), and 

 the Orange-l)ellied Snake [Pseudec/ds austvaUs), belong to this group, and 



