74 AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 



Krefft's Dwarf Snake. CacopMs krefftii. 



(Plate XI, figs. 5, 5a.) 

 Cacoptis, krefftii, Qunther, Annals and Mag. Nat. Hist., 3rd Series, vol. XII, p. 361, 



Scales in 15 rows. 



Abdominal plates, 156. 



Two anal plates. 



Subcaudals in two series, 28/28 to 36/36. 



Total length, 12 inches. 



Head, f inch. 



Tail, IJ inch. 



Scales smooth, in 15 rows ; head rather depressed, of moderate 

 width and length ; rostral shield nearly twice as broad as high, scarcely- 

 reaching the upper surface of the head ; anterior frontals not much smaller 

 than posterior ; vertical rather longer than broad, six-sided, with an obtuse 

 angle in front, and with a somewhat acute one behind ; occipitals rounded 

 behind, nearly as long as the vertical and posterior frontals together. 

 Nasal elongate, simple, pierced by the nostril in the middle, in contact 

 with the single preocular (there is a small shield intercalated between the 

 posterior frontal and the hind portion of the nasal). Two postocvilars. 

 Upper labials, 6 ; temporals, 1 + 2. Three pairs of small chin-shields, sub- 

 equal in size. Eye rather small, with tlie pupil round. Body rounded, of 

 moderate length ; tail rather short ; veutrals, 156 ; anal bifid ; sub- 

 caudals, 28. 



Upper parts black, each scale of the outer series with an indistinct 

 dark violet streak. A yellowish band commences on the snout, and passes 

 through the eye and round the nape, where it is pure yellow, whilst its 

 anterior and lateral portions are dotted with black ; it is also longitudinally 

 divided by a black line running from the eye for some distance backwards. 

 Lower jaw brownish, marbled with yellowish. Each ventral shield yellow, 

 with a black outer and hinder margin ; a black band along the middle of 

 the subcaudals. 



Our figures are considerably enlarged. The habitat of this species 

 appears to be the N. E. Coast of Australia. Mr. James E. Wilcox sent 

 the first specimens, and Mr. George Masters obtained more examples north 

 of the Clarence at Ipswich and Wide Bay in Queensland. No specimens 

 are on record from the western portions of this continent. 



