96 



Somerset, Cape York, have been carefully coinpared with the 

 present example and with a series of A. antarcticus from New 

 South Wales. 



MORELIA VARIEGATA. 



Gray, Brit. Mus. Catal. p. 86. 



Scales in from forty-two to forty-eight series round the middle 

 of the body ; abdominal plates from two hundred and sixty-seven 

 to two hundred and seventy-one ; anal plate single ; subcaudal 

 plates in two rows from seventy-seven to seventy-nine in each, 

 body elongate and compressed ; head very distinct from the trunk, 

 flattened superiorly ; tail short, sharply defined from the body, 

 the upper surface and sides rounded, the lower surface flat, 

 prehensile ; muzzle short, broad, and obtuse ; eye lateral, the 

 pupil elliptical and erect. Nostril pierced in a large nasal, which 

 is deeply gi^ooved behind ; rostral as high as broad, with a deep 

 oblique pit on either side ; three pairs of frontals, the two anterior 

 pairs the larger ; behind these there is a longitudinal series of 

 three slightly enlarged scales, the last of which is in contact with 

 a pair of small vertical shields, behind which and partially dividing 

 them is a third shield of similar size which is absent in the larger 

 example ; two pre- and three post-oculars ; five supraciliaries ; the 

 rest of the upper surface and sides of the head covered with 

 numerous irregularly-sized and -shaped scales, the largest being in 

 a series of three on each side above the temporal region ; the 

 smallest between these series ; twelve or thirteen upper labials, 

 the anterior three pitted, the sixth and seventh entering the eye ; 

 seventeen lower labials, the six preceding the last four deeply 

 pitted, the first pair not forming a suture behind the quadrangular 

 mental, the posterior margin of which is not more than one- 

 seventii of the anterior ; numerous small elongate, non-imbricate 

 scales between the mental and the first abdominal plate. Scales 

 on the fore part of the body small and elongate, those on the 

 hinder part and tail larger and rhomboidal ; the series bordering 

 the abdominal plates larger. Rudiments of hind limb minute, 

 scarcely distinguishable from the surrounding scales ; two series 

 of scales between the vent and the first pair of subcaudal plates. 

 Colors — Nasal shields, front part of anterior frontals, and rostral 

 i-idge violet ; inner margin of the two postei'ior pairs of frontals; 

 a median band from thence broadening out behind so as to cover 

 the three vertical shields ; three bands, the outer two originating 

 at the antero-superior angle of the orbit, and joining the trans- 

 verse occipital band, the middle one narrower and not extending 

 so far back; a band from the nasal shield, through the eye, skirting 

 the upper labials, and curving round behind the temporal region 

 to meet the corresponding band on the occiput, rich purplish-brown; 

 an elongate median and two sliorter lateral spots of the same color 

 on the neck ; second, third, fourth, and seventh upper, and the 



