Zoology.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Reptiles. 



uniform iu color, but this is very unusual. Young specimens, 

 5 or 6 inches long, have the top of the head over the eyes more 

 convex than the adults, and the coloring much brighter, being rich 

 brown above, with the transverse narrow pale bands much more 

 distinct, about 7 of them on body, 15 on tail, 3 on thigh, and 1 or 

 2 on arm ; the broad streak from the eye through the ear, and the 

 continuation of it which forms the usual dark mark on side of neck 

 very dark rich brown ; the broad, transverse, V-shaped band on 

 throat of an inky blackness. In these young the spinose beard is 

 very much smaller, and there are two rows of large (5 or 6) 

 rhombic spots lighter than the general brown of the back, the 

 midline of which shows like a dark series of rhomboidal spots, 

 approaching to the markings of G. muricata, from which the 

 absence of any median dorsal keel and the other characters 

 enumerated above easily distinguish it. 



This species is rare near Melbourne, but becomes gradually 

 more abundant in all the more northern warm localities up to 

 the Murray boundary. 



Explanation of Figures. 



Plate 121. — Fig. 1, side view of moderate specimen, natural size. Fig. la, under-side of 

 thighs, to show the femoral pores. Fig. 16, under-side of head, two-thirds natural size, to show 

 the transverse fold and the under part of the beard. Fig. lc, edge of jaw, with molar teeth 

 enlarged. Fig. 2, a couple of the strings of eggs, natural size. 



Frederick McCoy. 



[ 81 ] 



