AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 49 



notorious species, and attaining a length of 4 feet 

 6 inches, it is very inoffensiv^e. Of its bite, Krefft 

 remarks that the result causes no more irritation than 

 the sting of a bee. In color it is variable, generally 

 some shade of olive, or reddish-brown above, and grey, 

 or greenish below : the terminal portion of the tail is 

 orange beneath, and the eye is surrounded with yellow, 

 which color is continued backwards, into a point above 

 the mouth. It is distributed from British isfew Guinea 

 throughout almost the whole of Australia, and is 

 sometimes known as the Grey Snake. 



We notice shortly the four following scarce species 

 ■of the genus, namely — 



Percy Island Snake. 



Diemenia torquata, Giinther. 

 S. 15, V. 191-203, A. 2, S.C. 75-81. 

 •Queensland, and Percy Island, which lies off the North- 

 east Coast ; length, 2 feet. 



Spotted-headed Snake. 



Diemenia oHvacea, Gray. 



S. 15, V. 162-215, A. 2, S.C, 79-99. 



Northern Australia and New Guinea ; length, 3 feet. 



Macleay's Whip Snake. 



Diemenia oriiatice^ys, Macleay. 



S. 15, V. 187, A. 2, S.C. 90. 



Port Darwin ; length, 10 inches. 



