AUSTEALIAN SNAKES. 25 



NouTHERN Tree Snake. Dendrophis calligastra. 



Dendrophis calligastra, Oiinther, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. 20 (Third Series), 

 p. 53. 



Scales iu 13 rows. 

 Abdominals, 179. 

 Two anal plates. 

 Subcaudals ? 

 Total length, 36 inches. 

 Tail, 12 inches. 



No loreal shield ; eight upper labials, the fourth and fifth entering 

 the orbit ; one anterior and two posterior oculars ; temporal scales, 1 + 2 

 4- 2 ; abdominal shields strongly keeled, some of the scales with a single 

 terminal pore ; greenish brown above, sides of the head and neck yellow ; 

 a black band across the rostral shield through the eye to the side of the 

 neck ; belly purplish yellow, powdered with purplish brown. 



Habitat, Cape York. 



FAMILY OF NIGHT TREE SNAKES--DJP»S'4-D/-Z)^. 



The Nocturnal Tree Snakes inhabit Asia and the islands of the 

 Indian Archipelago, as well as Africa, America, and Australia. 



India, which is their stronghold, produces ten species, Africa a 

 few, and America and Australia one kind each. The islands in the neigli- 

 bourhood of New Guinea are inhabited by another species which is closely 

 allied to our Australian I>lj)sa8 fusca. 



DIPSAS. 

 Dipsas, auct. 



Body and tail much elongate and compressed ; head depressed, 

 triangular, short, broad behind, very distinct from neck ; snout short ; 

 eye rather large, with vertical pupil ; nostril between two nasals ; shields 

 of the head regular ; loreal present ; scales smooth, more or less narrow 

 on the sides, those of the vertebral series dilated ; anal entire ; subcaudals 

 two-rowed ; posterior maxUlary tooth grooved. 

 H 



