AUSTEALIAN SNAKES. 37- 



SEC0:ND SUBORDEIi. 



VENOMOUS COLUBRINE SNAIvES. 



(OPHIDII COLUBRIFORMES VENENOSI.) 



Snakes with an erect immovable grooved or perforated fang in front 

 of the maxillary". 



Two families inhabit Australia — 



1. Elapidje ... ... ... ... Tail conical, tapering. 



2. Hydeophid^ . . . ... ... ... Tail strongly compressed, paddle-shaped. 



• FA^IILY OF YLAFIBES-IJLAPID^K 



Body cylindrical or subcylindrical, tail rather short, tapering ; 

 head with the normal number of shields above ; no loreal, except in one 

 species ; eye not very large, pupil rounded or elliptical. The venom fang 

 shows a distinct groove along its front, and the interior canal terminates 

 in a slit at the extremity. 



The snakes of this family inhabit all the tropical regions, but 

 principally Australia, the island of Tasmania being their most southern 

 limit. 



Some of these reptiles, such as the deadly Brown-banded Snake 

 {Roplocephalus ctirtus), the Broad-scaled Snake {Hoplocephalus superbus), 

 and the Black Snake {Fsemlechisporphyriacus), have the power to dilate the 

 skin in the neck, and are related to the Cobras of India; others, such as the 

 Black-and-white-ringed Snake {Vermicella occipitalis), are allied to South 

 American genera. We shall not attempt to make any subdivision, but 

 enumerate the various species according to Gimther's Catalogue of Snakes 

 in the British Museum, including the Death Adder in this family. 



