AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 31 



If the author was ignorant of the Australian names of 

 these snakes, he might he excused, but he was not. Of 

 his purplish Death Adder he writes : " Generally known 

 to the settlers bj the name of Black Snake." Further 

 comment is unnecessary, for if he or anyone else gave a 

 thousand new names, this snake would still remain the 

 Black Snake of Australia. 



Technical Terms. 



Apart from their osteological or bony features, the 

 characters usually used in the classification and deter- 

 mination of snakes are : the relative size and disposition 

 of the head shield, tiie number and peculiarities of the 

 ventral or belly plates, and of the sub-caudal or lower 

 tail scales, and the entire or divided condition of the 

 anal plate. Although full technical details would be 

 out of keeping and beyond the scope of the present 

 popular publication, it has been thought advisable to 

 give, under each species, a formula* denoting (S.) rows 

 of scales around the middle of the body ; (Y.) number 

 of ventrals ; (A.l single, or A. 2 divided) character of the 

 anal ; and (S.C.) number of sub-caudal plates. 



As my readers may at times find it useful to be 

 able to refer to terms used in teclmical descriptions, the 

 following diagrams and explanation have been prepared : 



* Compiled from the Catalogue of Snakes iu the 

 British Museum. 



