42 MEMOJUS OF THE QrEEXSLAXD MUSEUM. 



FURINA ANNULATA (Gray). 

 (Plato XV.) 



The larger forms of Furina anindata (Gray) have a remarkable habit of 

 raising one or more loops of the body and holding them almost vei-tically aloft. 

 This attitude is well illustrated in Plate XV, and they maintain this position 

 witli surprising rigidity. This is probably an instance of an aposematic condition. 



Although this snake has been catalogued under the name of Furina 

 occipifaiis, Gray's name, given with a description in the appendix to Grey's 

 Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-west and Western Australia, 

 vol. ii, p. 443, published in 1841, has priority. 



DISTEIRA MAJOR (Sh.nv). 

 Examination of the type of Bisii ira nasaiis, De Vis,'"' shows that this 

 cannot be separated from D. major. It was described from a young specimen 

 only 400 mm. long. De Vis attached importance to the division of the nasal by 

 a line to the prefrontal, but this condition is present only on the left side. Cope 

 described a similar feature in his note on D. dumerilii,^'^ which is included by 

 Boulenger in the synonymy of 7). major.^' The posterior angle of the left nasal 

 is produced between the median prefrontal suture and thus reduces its length. 

 There are two superimposed anterior temporals, the lower being- somewhat in 

 advance, and below this there is a very small labial which was evidently not 

 considered by De Vis. There are thus seven, and not six, upper labials. On the 

 right side there is a small shield between the two postoculars and the anterior 

 temporals. The posterior pair of chin-shields are so snuiU that they can only 

 .iust be differentiated from the surrounding scales. With these necessary 

 emendations it is .scarcely po.ssible to separate J), nasaiis from D. major. 



DISTEIRA ELEGANS (<!ni.v). 



Yarifilinn in a i<ra Snah( and its Youmj. — On 13th March, 1917, the 

 Queensland ^luseuin received a sea snake which had been captured in the Pine 

 River, Mr. Cross being the (hmoi'. This proved to be the common Elegant Sea 

 Snake, Disteira elcgans, Gray, which is the species most frequently secured on 

 our coast. Examination of this snake sliowed tlmt it contained eight young, 

 which were evich'iitly near the pei'ind nC hii'tli, tiu' lepidosis being well developed. 

 As the range of variation in these snakes has been the subject of no little contro- 

 versy, the writer thought it would be an excellent opportunity to place on record 

 some of the chief features of the niother and young. 



Seven of the eight embryos were I'ciiioved from the associatctl membranes 

 and closely examined. The jirevailing colour on the ventral and lateral surface 

 was a beautiful French gray. This was continued on the back in a series of 

 from forty-five to lifty-lwo bands, which altei'nated with wider dark patches. 

 The light bands were themselves regularly dark-spotted on the dorsum, whilst 



" XX' Vi», Ann, Qld, Miik, No, 6, ]), 4S, 1905, 

 "Cope, I'roc, Ac I'hiliul. IS.")!), p, :)47, 

 "Boulenger, Brit, Mus. Cut. f-n. iii, p, lisil. I s!Mi. 



