1118 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



The geographical distribution of the species of this family is as 

 follows : 



Paleotropical. 



Ogmoilon 



Bimgarus. 



Megferophis . 



Na.fa , 



Ophiophagus 



Callophia . 



Palearctic. 



1 Neotropical ne- 

 arctic. 



Ethiopiau. 



Naja. 



Cacophis 



Naja 



Cyi'tophis. . 

 Aspidelaps 

 Sepedon . . . 



Australian. 



Denisonia. 

 Pseudechis. 

 Hoplocephalus. 

 Tropidechis. 



Dienienia. 

 Pseudonaja. 

 Furlua. 

 Cacophis, 



Rhiuelaps. 

 Acanthophis. 



It is to be observed that much the largest number of genera belong 

 to the Australian realm. The majority of the species belong als6 to 

 Australia, the genus Denisonia alone including some nineteen species. 

 The genus Ogmodon with one species belongs to the Fiji Islands only. 

 No genus or species occurs in the Western Hemisphere, wliere they 

 are represented by the Elapid*. 



The Najidai, although of an organization inferior to that of the 

 Solenoglypha, embraces some of the most venomous snakes known to 

 us. Such are the species of Ophiophagus, Naja, and Bungarus, in India, 

 and Acanthophis and Pseudechis in Australia. The cobra ( Naja tripudians 

 Linnaeus) causes more deaths than any other snake, not only because 

 of the energy of its venom, but because of its courage and activity. 

 In Australia the Pseudechis porphyriacus (the black snake) causes more 

 fatalities than any other. The death adder {Acanthophis antarctiea) is 

 a dangerous species, but it is less active in its movements. The Ophio- 

 phagus claps of India is the longest venomous snake, reaching a length 

 of 12 feet. It is fortunately rare. Many of the smaller Australian 

 Najidse are not dangerous. 



ELAPID^. 



The only genera of this family which I have examined are Elaps and 

 Yermicella. The hemipenis is alike in both ; that is, it is bifurcate, with 

 each half with a spinous apex. The extension of the spines downward 

 differs with the species. Thus they extend but a short way in Elaps 

 corallinus, but extend far down in in E. surinamensis and E. imperator. 

 The usual definitions of the genera are as follows: 



a. luternasal plate touching the uasal laterally. 



One nasal plate Vermicella Gray, 



Two nasal plates Elaps Schneider. 



au. luternasal reaching first labial plate. 



One nasal ; no loreal Microsoma Jan. 



The genus Vermicella is Australian, Elaps is American, and Micro- 

 soma is African. The genus Elaps embraces many species, but the 



