THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF POISONOUS SNAKES 97 
Colour yellow-brown or reddish, with more or less distinct dark 
cross-bands; black spots or 
small dark bars on the lps; 
belly yellowish-white ; end of 
tail yellow or black, covered 
with spiny scales. 
Total length, 850 milli- 
metres ; tail 150. 
5 3 T = 
Habitat : Moluccas, New Fic. 61.—Acanthophis antarcticus (The 
Guinea, Australia. Death Adder). 
(n) Elapognathus. 
Maxillary bones extending forwards as far as the palatines, 
with a pair of moderately large grooved poison-fangs; no other 
maxillary teeth ; mandibular teeth subequal. Eyes moderate, with 
round pupils; nasal shield entire. Body cylindrical; scales smooth, 
in 15 rows; ventrals rounded; tail moderate; subcaudals in a 
single row. 
EH. minor.—Colour dark olive, with a black occipital blotch in 
the young ; belly yellow or greenish-grey. 
Total length, 460 millimetres ; tail 95. 
Habitat : South-west Australia. 
(o) Rhynchelaps. 
Maxillary bones extending forwards as far as the palatines, 
with a pair of moderately large grooved poison-fangs, and two 
small teeth near the posterior extremity of the bone; anterior 
mandibular teeth the longest. Head small, not distinct from the 
neck ; eyes small, with vertically elliptic pupils; nostril in a single 
nasal shield. Body short, cylindrical; scales smooth, in 15—17 
rows. Tail very short; subcaudals in 2 rows. 
(1) R. bertholdi.—Scales in 15 rows; 112—126 ventrals. 
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