99 



which the nostril is pierced, and which is grooved both below and 

 behind the nostril, while similarly in all there are one pre- and 

 two post-oculars, and the eye is separated from the upper labials 

 by two well-developed scales There is however one ditlerence of 

 importance which leads me to consider the Death Adder of northern 

 Australia as specifically separable from the southern Australian 

 form and from that of New Guinea, namely, the diversity in the 

 shape of the pupil, which is erect and elliptical in A. aiitarcticus, 

 and A. h^vis, but round in A. prcelougus. In all other respects the 

 three forms differ but slightly. 



ACANTHOPHIS L^VIS. 



Acanthophis la^vis, Macleay, Proc. Lhin. Soc. N.S. Wales, ii. p. 

 40 (1877). 

 Scales in twenty-one series ; abdominal plates from one-hundred 

 and thirteen to one-hundred and seventeen ; anal plate entire ; 

 sub-caudal plates forty-eight to fifty, sometimes all entire, some- 

 times a part divided. Body short and but moderately robust, 

 this giving it a rather elongate appearance as compared with A. 

 antarctictis ; head broad, very distinct from the trunk; tail distinct 

 from body, compressed into a blunt keel above, and terminating in 

 a curved spur-like scale, which is bent upwards ; muzzle short, broad, 

 and obtuse; eye small, lateral, the pupil elliptical and erect. Nostril 

 pierced in a single large nasal, which extends so far backwards as, in 

 conjunction with the posterior frontal, to replace the loreal shield; 

 rostral about three times as broad as high, rounded behind and 

 extending well on to the upper surface of the head ; anterior and 

 posterior frontals well developed, and sub-equal in size ; vertical 

 shield large, the anterior facies obtusely angular, the posterior 

 broadly rounded, the lateral margins parallel, or with a sliglit, 

 scarcely percepttble, convergence ; occipitals a little longer than 

 the vertical, and very much broader ; supraciliary large, about 

 equal in size to the vertical, the outer margin prominent and erect; 

 a single large preocular ; two postoculars, the upper somewhat 

 the larger ; two or three enlarged scales between the eye and the 

 upper labials ; temporal shields in three series, the lower one of 

 the first pair very large, and completely separating the two 

 posterior upper labials, six upper labials, the third and fifth the 

 largest, the third and fourth beneath the eye ; eight lower labials 

 the first forming a broad suture beliind the triangular mental, the 

 second and last much smaller than the others ; the fourth the 

 largest ; two pairs of elongate chin-shields ; a large lateral shield 

 bordering the fourth and fifth lower labials. Scales of the head 

 rugose ; about ten median series of dorsal scales unicarinate, the 

 carinations extending even so far as the root of the tail, but grow- 

 ing faint posteriorly. Colors — Ashy-gray above, white below ; 

 some of the upper head-shields washed with chestnut ; anterior 

 upper labials closely mottled with black, white, and ash ; the two 



