SNAKES. 85 



A. Tail strongly prehensile ; spurs large, exposed. Head elongate, 

 distinct ; muzzle truncated. Eyes nocturnal ; pupil oblong, 

 erect. 



a. Suhcaudal plates two-roived ; intermaxillary or incisive teeth dis- 

 tinct ; super-orbital bone distinct. Old World. Pythoniua. 



Pythonina, Gray, Zool. Misc. 1840. Pythoniens, Holodontes, 

 Pythonides, Dum. '^^ Bib. Erp. Gen. vi. 381, 1846. Pylhophes, 

 Fitz. Syst. Rept. 24, 1843. Constrictores pais, Oppell, Rept. 1811. 

 Python, Daud. Rept. v. 230, viii. 384. Cuvier, R.A. 



•f Crown of head ivith small scale-like plates. 



1. MOEELIA. 



Head shields small, scale-like ; frontal plates distinct, three 

 pairs ; vertical plate small ; rostral shield single, with a pit on each 

 side ; three front upper and the hinder lower labial plates pitted : 

 nostrils lateral in a single plate, with a groove beneath : eyes late- 

 ral ; pupil elliptical, erect : scales smooth ; suhcaudal plates two- 

 rowecl. Australia. 



Morelia, Gray, Zool. Misc. 43, 1842. Echidna sp., Merrem, 

 Tent. Dum. ^- JBib. Erp. Gen. vi. 383. Python, Wagler, Syst. 

 Amph. Ifi8, 1830. Python sp., Cuvier, R. A. Fitz. N. Class. R. 

 54. Syst. Rept. 24. Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 



* Vertical plate indistinct. 



1. The Diamond Snake. Morelia spilotes. Coluber spilotes, 

 Lacep. Ann. Mus. iv. 194 (1802). Echidna spilotes, Merrem, Amph. 

 150. Python spilotes. Gray, Kings Voy. ii. Snake, Nos. 1 and 

 10, White, Voy. N. S. Wales, 259. Australian Snake, Shaio, Zool. 

 iii. 505, and vignette on title-page. Python punctatus, Merrem, 

 Amph. 90. Fitz. N. Class. 54. Boie, Isis, xx. 526. Python Pe- 

 ronii, Cuvier, Mus. Paris, 1827. Lesson, Ann. Sci. Nat. xiii. 391. 

 Wagler, Icon. Amph. t. 1. Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 421, t. 15, /. 11, 

 12. Fitz, Syst. Rept. 24. Serpens arabica, Seba, ii. 108, t. 103, 

 /.I? 1734. Vipera argus, Klein. Tent. 21 (1755). Coluber argus, 

 Linn. Syst, Nat. i. 389, 1758. Daud. Rept. vi. 312. Natrix argus, 



I 



