AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 67 



thirty inches in length, and occurs generally throughout 

 Australia. On the Macleay River, it is known as 

 Bunda Bunda, a native name. 



SEA SNAKES. 



Sub-family HYDROPHIIN^. 



iS'o less than twelve Sea Snakes are recorded from 

 Australian seas, nearly all, however, confined to tropical 

 areas. All are highly venomous, and yet deaths 

 resulting from their bite are rare, owing to the small 

 gape, and consequent difficulty of grasping large objects. 

 Excluding the members of one genus, they are entirely 

 aquatic. With the exception of one species of Distira, 

 confined to Lake Taal (a fresh-water lake in Luzon, 

 in the Philippine Islands) all Sea Snakes are, as their 

 name implies, marine. They enter streams and are 

 frequently found some distance from the estuary, but 

 do not extend beyond tidal influence. 



They are viviparous, that is, they produce their 

 offspring in a living and active condition. They are 

 confined to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the habitat 

 of the greater number extending from the Persian Gulf 

 to New Guinea and North Australia. 



Sea Snakes reach a great size, but 12 feet is the 

 largest definitely recorded, a figure very far short of the 

 Mariner's Sea Serpent. They feed upon fish and other 

 marine animals, and have as enemies, Sharks and Sea 

 Eagles. 



