64 AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 



naked eye), and more or less finely black-dotted. Head darker than the 

 body, a whitish band crossing the nape ; a second white band, spotted with 

 black beneath the eye, from the rostral to the last upper labial. 



In young specimens the ventral scales in the middle of body are red. 



Habitat, Flinders' Range, South Australia. Collected by Mr. George 

 Masters, who found seven specimens. 



Black-bellied Snake. Hoploceplialus signatus. 



(Plate Xn, fig. 5.) 

 Hoplocephalus signatus, Jan. 



Scales in 17 rows. 



Abdominal plates, 157. 



Two anal plates. 



Subcaudals in a single series, 51 or more. 



Total length of adult, 24 to 30 inches. 



Head, f inch. 



Tail, 4 inches. 



Body rather elongate and rounded, head and tail slightly distinct 

 from trunk, head shields regular, the vertical differing considerably in 

 shape in various specimens, six-sided, about as long again as broad, with 

 sharp angles in front and behind ; nostril reaching to the top of the snout, 

 with a groove on the lower edge ; six upper (and lower) labials, the third 

 and fourth coming into the orbit ; eye moderate, pupil rounded, with a 

 bright brown spot above it. First and second row of scales rather brown ; 

 skin between the scales black, above uniform dark olive green or brown, 

 beneath deep bluish black ; the head is generally lighter in color, parti- 

 cularly towards the snout ; a white streak from behind the eye to the side of 

 the neck, another from the nasal to the last upper labial ; lower lip, chin, 

 and part of neck (below) whitish. The ventral plates vary much ; the general 

 color is bluish black, the outer edges sometimes dotted with grey ; in one 

 specimen received from Mr. William Bell, M.R.C.S., the ventrals are 

 salmon-colored in the middle. 



This species has a wide distribution ; it is mentioned from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Melbourne, occurs frequently in the southern districts of New 

 South Wales, and has been taken in Queensland, near Ipswich, by Mr. 

 Masters. The female produces from fifteen to twenty young. The bite of 

 this snake is not dangerous. 



