24 AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 



passing through my liands daily, and, although^ 

 always exercising due care, I once unwittingly nearly 

 came to grief. A box was forwarded to me bearing 

 the label *' Green Tree Snake," taking a peep inside I 

 saw that the occupant was one of these harmless 

 reptiles, and at once threw open the hd, and was taking 

 out the snake, when from below darted a Black Snake, 

 one of our deadly species. It was but a moment's 

 work to seize and secure it ; but since that time I have 

 opened packages with even more care. 



A distinction must be made between the venomous, 

 and what I call the deadly snakes. Of the latter, there 

 are only five common species, they are : — 



1. Brown Snake {Diemenia textilis). Plate 8. 



2. Black Snake (^Fseudechis ^jorphyriacus). 



Plate 9. 



3. Superb Snake (^Denisonia superha). Plate 10. 

 •±. Tiger Snake (^Notecliis scututus). Plate 13. 



5. Death Adder (^Acanthophis antarctica). 

 Plate 14. 



Food and Reproduction. 



Many different kinds of living animals fall a prey 

 to snakes ; insects are eaten by Blind Snakes and some 

 of the smaller venomous kinds. Frogs form food for 

 most snakes ; the Hylas are particularly unfortunate, 



