2Q AUSTEALIAN SNAKES. 



Australian Ground Snake, Coronella australis. 



Coronella australis, Onthr., Cat. of Coluhr. Snakes, p. 40. 



Scales in 17 rows ; abdominal plates ? two anal plates ; subcaudal 

 plates in two series ? total length, 27^ inches ; head, f inch ; tail, 5 inches. 



Above uniform olive, with a few black specks ; beneath uniform 

 whitish. Longer maxillary tooth not channeled. Body moderate, tail 

 moderate, thin, distinct from trunk ; head rather broad and obtuse ; shields 

 of crown regular, proportionate ; two nasals, one loreal, one anteorbital, 

 raised on the surface of the head, but not reaching the vertical ; two 

 posterior oculars ; eight upper labials, fourth and fifth narrow and coming 

 into the orbit ; one front temporal shield in contact with both postoculars ; 

 two others behind; first pair of lower labials forming a suture behind 

 the terminal one. Scales moderate, rounded behind, in seventeen rows ; 

 anal bifid. Above nearly uniform olive, some scales with black ti^js or black 

 tips and black edged; beneath uniformly yellowish. Longer maxillary 

 teeth, not grooved, in a continuous row with the anterior ones. The 

 typical specimen in the British Museum is described as above. The 

 habitat given is " Australia," probably the far North ; the snake must be 

 very rare, as no other specimens have been discovered. 



TEOPIIDOlvrOTTJS, KuH. 

 Body cylindrical ; head distinct from neck, flat ; cleft of mouth 

 wide ; eye of moderate size, or rather large, with round pupU ; nostril 

 lateral, between two plates. Shields of the head regular ; loreal always 

 present. Scales keeled ; ventrals rounded, considerably less than 200 in 

 number ; anal bifid ; subcaudals two-rowed. Teeth numerous on the jaw 

 and on the palate ; the anterior in the jaws are always shortest ; the 

 posterior lengthened, but not grooved. 



Australian Tropidonotus or Fresh Water Snake. Tropldonotm 



picturatus. 



(Plate V, figg. 8 and 8a.) 

 Tropidonotus picturatus, Sclileg. Ess., t. 12 , f. 8, 9 ; Giinther, Cat. Coluhr. Snakes, p. 71. 



Scales in 15 rows ; abdominals, 157 to 160 ; two anal plates ; sub- 

 caudals, 74/74 ; total length, 2 to 3 feet. 



Eight upper labials, the fourth and fifth touching the eye ; one 

 anterior, three posterior oculars. 



