Zoology.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Reptiles. 



Plate 52. 



VERMICELLA ANNULATA (Gray). 



The Black and White Ringed Snake. 



[Genus VERMICELLA (Gray). (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata Class Rcptilia. Order 

 Ophidia. Earn. Elapsidse.) 



Gen. Char. — Body elongate, cylindrical ; head thick, blunt, rounded, little wider than the 

 neck ; rostral plate moderate, rounded ; nasal large, with the small nostril pierced near the 

 middle ; one large anterior ocular plate, and two small posterior ocular plates. Scales subequal 

 (vertebral line not larger than the others), smooth, imbricated, about fifteen rows ; anal and 

 sub-caudal plates in two rows. Tail very small, conical. One minute, grooved fang, and no 

 other teeth in jaw. Australia.] 



Description. — Form: body long", slender, cylindiical ; tail slender, conical, 

 ending- in an obtuse conical point, covered by a polisbed conical scale ; head no wider 

 than the neck, only slightly flattened, obtusely rounded in front. ^Scales: moderate, 

 rhombic, smooth, 15 rows across middle of body ; abdominal plates moderately wide, 

 varying from 212 to 229; subcaudal plates varying from 24 to 19 pairs. Plates: 

 rostral shield large, obtusely rounded, obtuse angled or rounded behind, nasal plate 

 large, touching the posterior frontal, anterior ocular large, a little shorter than the 

 nasal ; 2 posterior oculars, small, scarcely equalling the diameter of the eye in 

 length ; anterior frontals small, twice as wide as long ; posterior frontals about twice 

 as long as anterior one, a little wider than long ; vertex plate, subpentagonal, 

 subtruncate and broadest in front, about one-third longer than wide, occipitals rather 

 narrow, subtrigonal ; six upper labials, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th labials touch the eye ; 

 anterior temporal large, two posterior temporals together shorter than anterior, in 

 contact with the upper or lower posterior ocular. Color: yellowish white, with 

 about 32 to 42 transverse brownish-black rings, about six scales wide on back, 

 separated by white intervals about 3 scales wide, more nearly equal below, where 

 each color occupies about 3 or 4 scales wide ; throat white ; rostral and anterior 

 frontal plates and anterior half of nasal plate black ; labial plates, anterior ocular, 

 and posterior frontals white ; superciliary, vertex, and occipital plates black. Teeth: 

 one small poison fang on each side, no other teeth in jaws, two rows of about 5 small 

 teeth on palate. Length usually about 2 feet, of which the tail is 1 inch 5 lines, 

 cleft of mouth 6 lines, greatest width of body, 6 lines. 



Reference. — Snake No. 2. White Journal. New South Wales, Ap. p. 259. 

 Giinther, Cat. Col. Sn. B. M., p. 236. 



This is one of the rarer Snakes of Victoria, and does not occur 

 much further south than Sandhurst. It is impossible to confound 

 it with any other land Snake from its striking colors arranged in 

 numerous, nearly regular, alternate black and white l^ands. These 

 colors are nearly pure when the skin lias been newly changed, but 



[ H ] 



