54 AUSTEALIAN SNAKES. 



or clouded belly, or greyish above, and of a similar color below, with here 

 and there a few black spots upon the back, indicating the position of the 

 obliterated bands. When black and only half-grown, the Tasmanian 

 snakes shew the bands very distinctly. This species inhabits almost every 

 part of Australia, from the south to the Gulf of Cariientaria ; it is the 

 most dangerous of all our reptiles, and a fair bite from it will kill animals 

 the size of a goat in about an hour. Upon its own body, or that of another 

 highly venomous species, the bite has no effect. 



Thirty or more young are produced, every season, varying in color 

 quite as much as old individuals do. They retire into the ground in 

 winter, and make their appearance, according to the temperature, in 

 August or the beginning of September — in southern districts much later. 

 When attacked, and seeing no means of escape, this snake raises the fore 

 part of the body off the ground, not unlike a Cobra, to which it is closely 

 allied, and flattens the neck, though not to such an extent as the Indian 

 Naja tripudians. 



Large-scaIiED Snake. Hoflocephalua superhus. 



(Plate XI, fig. 9.) 

 Holocephalus superbus, Griinfher, Cat. of Coluhr. Snakes in Coll. Brit. Mus., p. 217. 



Scales in 15 rows. 



Abdominal plates, 150 to 160. 



One anal plate. 



Subcaudals in one series, 50 or more. 



Total length of adult, 5 to 6 feet. 



Head, 1 inch. 



Tail, 6 to 7 inches. 

 Shields of the head smaller than in S. curtits, the middle or vertical 

 plate about as long again as broad ; head high, rather distinct from neck, 

 somewhat pointed ; body stout, with very large ventral plates, all clouded 

 towards the tail, clear, and of a bright yellow on the anterior part of the 

 body ; general color, a dark copper brown, the two outer rows of scales 

 on each side with a pink or red spot in the middle, those near the neck often 

 somewhat lighter ; close to the tail the spots are less bright, and some- 

 times obliterated. Western individuals occur with darker heads, and 

 without the pinkish outer row of scales. It is probable that there are as 

 many variations in this as in other prolific species, so that it is difficult to 

 give a description that will be ap[)licable to every individual snake. 



