SNAKES. 197 
. The Botdw have rudiments or vestiges of a pelvis and hind 
limbs, the latter having the appearance of hook-like claws, ‘and 
can be seen one on either side of. the vent. The mandible, max- 
illary, palatine, and pterygoid bones are all toothed and movable ; 
but the members of the genera Loxocemus, Nardoa, Liasis, and 
Python have also teeth on the intermaxillary or premaxillary 
bone. The pterygoid or wing-like bones are behind the palatine 
bones, and in the Boidw sometimes extend as far back as the 
quadrate or tympanic bone. 
Some of these large Snakes, such, for instance, as the Ana- 
conda (Hunectes murinus), spend a great part of their time in 
water ; while others, ¢.g., the Boa Constrictor, hardly ever enter it. 
The Diamond Snake (Python spilotes, Boulenger, or Morelia 
spilotes, Lacép., is a native of Australia and New Guinea, and it 
has the distinction of being the only harmless Snake in the colony 
of Victoria. The other Snakes which are found in this Colony 
are more or less poisonous, for Australia unfortunately possesses 
more venomous Ophidians than non-venomous. However, only 
four or five species of the former can be considered deadly. 
Some of the venomous Snakes are not provided with poison 
sufficiently strong to seriously injure a healthy person, and they 
can only inflict a wound a little more painful than that caused 
by the sting of a wasp. Others of the poisonous Snakes (e.g., 
Brachysoma diadema), like our own Grass Snake (Z'ropodonotus 
natrix), are most unwilling to bite, and may generally be handled 
with impunity. A variety of the Diamond Snake (P. spilotes), 
generally called the Carpet Snake (Morelia variegata, Gray), 
which, of course, also is perfectly harmless, must not be con- 
founded with another Carpet Snake of Australia (/Zoplocephalus 
curtus), or with the Carpet Viper (Z£chis carinata) of India, both 
of which are very deadly. 
The Diamond Snake is a small and slender Python of about 
6ft. in length. It is easily tamed, but unfortunately is not very 
hardy. It should be fed upon rats, mice, and birds, and be kept 
fairly warm. The Snake can sometimes be bought in this country 
at sums ranging from 10s. to £3. 
The following is part of Mr. Boulenger’s description, given in 
the “‘ Catalogue of Snakes in the British Museum,” of this Snake 
