62 AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 



frequents marshy spots ; it swims and dives well, and 

 wlien lying motionless in the water has often been 

 mistaken for a stick. 



Its food consists largely of frogs, but lizards and 

 small animals are also eaten. Krefft remarked that it 

 is particularly partial to the young of the Water Rat 

 {Hydromys)^ and, on one occasion, sixteen young of this 

 animal were taken out of a single BKick Snake — so that 

 the reptile must have plundered four rats' nests. 



The coloration of tliis snake is simple, but effective, 

 above it is black from head to tail, beneath it is a 

 beautiful red, each plate edged with black ; the large 

 lateral scales bordering the ventrals are red, tipped with 

 black, and the under-tail scales are wholly black. 

 Examples are occasionally obtained witliout a trace of 

 the red color ; such, although essentially " black," are 

 merely varieties of the typical form. Large examples 

 have been secured 6 feet 6 inches in length, but the 

 majority seen are very much smaller. 



Fifteen to twenty young are produced, about 

 March, the period at which most of our snakes 

 reproduce their species. 



The following Australian members of this genus 

 have also been described : — 



t Copper Snake. 



Pseudechis capreus, Boulenger. 



S. 17, V. 199-210, A. 2, S.C. 57-72. 



Murray River ; length, 6 feet. 



