268 THE VIVARIUM. 
The Painted Tree-Snake feeds upon lizards and frogs. While 
in captivity in this country it should be provided with artificial 
heat. The cases in which all Tree-Snakes are kept ought to be 
furnished with some plant upon which they can climb and in 
which they can chiefly live. Under most circumstances an 
orange or lemon-tree will answer the purpose very well. Even in 
such trees, small as they necessarily must be, it is wonderful how 
these Snakes, owing to the colouring of their bodies and the 
manner of their coiling, are able to hide themselves. I have 
occasionally looked for some little time at a small tree, in the 
branches of which I knew there was one of these creatures, before 
J was able to discover the Reptile. 
The Punctulated Tree-Snake (Dendrophis punctulatus) is a 
native of Australia. It is hardy and easily tamed. The following 
is a short description of the reptile: A long loreal, one pree-ocular 
and two post-oculars, seven or eight upper labials, and five lower 
ones. . The scales are placed in thirteen rows; the ventrals, which 
are keeled and notched, number from 191 to 220; the sub-caudals 
are arranged in from 120 to 144 pairs, and the anal scute is divided. 
The colour above is olive or brown, the scales sometimes being 
edged with black ; the lower parts and the upper lip are yellowish. 
The Punctulated Tree-Snake may, occasionally, be bought in 
this country for about £1. It reaches a length of more than 5dft. 
of which the tail measures one-quarter. 
The Variegated Bush-Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus). 
The members of this genus possess twenty-five teeth in each 
maxillary jaw, the longest of which are the posterior. They are 
natives of Tropical and South Africa. P. semivariegatus has a 
long head, which is distinct from the neck, a large eye, with 
round pupil, a narrow loreal, one prz-ocular, two post-oculars, 
nine upper labials, five lower labials, pitted scales placed in 
fifteen rows, notched and keeled, ventrals, which number from 
169 to 207, sub-caudals, also notched and keeled, arranged in from 
112 to 155 pairs, and an anal scute which is divided. The upper 
parts of this Snake are of a green or olive colour, which is either 
uniform or marked with spots or cross-bars. The under parts 
are a greenish-yellow. The reptile grows to a length of 4ft., of 
which the tail measures nearly one third. 
