QUEENSLAND AND PAPUAN SEPTILES.— LONGMAN. 



43 



the sides were iiuiiked with smallei- spots, the whole forming a very handsome 

 pattern. The head was dark above and on the sides, and on the median ventral 

 surface the darlc markings were almost continuous. 



These specimens varied but little in length, all being about 360 mm. The 

 diameter of the circular fore part of the body was considerably more than half 

 of the vertical diameter of the compressed posterior part. The chin-shields 

 showed but little variation, although the degree of contact of the posterior pair 

 vai'ied. A large terminal caudal shield was present in each specimen. Some of 

 the variations noted are set forth in the followng table, 2878 being the registered 

 number of the mother : — 



* Small additional labial between 4th and 5th. 

 The exserted hemipenes show that numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7 are males. 



The shields on the iipper surface of the head presented no special diver- 

 gencies. In each the prefrontals were in contact with the second labial. There 

 was some little variation in the lengths of the median sutures between the pairs 

 of prefrontals and nasals. The variation in the number of ventrals was from 

 350 to 380 (the mother), and this suggests that the male parent had a con- 

 siderably lower range than that of the female. Boettger"* has pointed out that 

 the males have fewer ventrals, but our figures do not give much support to his 

 conclusions. The counting of the ventral series in the 3'oung presented some 

 difficulties owing to the irregularities, especially in the umbilical region, but 

 although the figures may not be absolutely correct they are substantially so. 

 The scale series around the body appear to be fairly constant in number. 



The presence of one or two temporals is of considerable importance. The 

 fifth labial may become laterally divided and its upper portion will then form 

 a lower and second anterior temporal. This is somewhat in advance of the upper, 

 but the snake would probably be described as possessing two superposed anterior 

 temporals. Stejneger has noted a variation of this type in his study of Disteira 

 melanocephala.^^ 



A full description of tlie parent snake follows. It will be noted that the 

 difference between the slender fore part of the body and the compressed posterior 

 is very much greater in the adult. 



" Boettger, Zool. Anz., 1888, p. 395. 



" Stejneger, Herpet. of Japan, Bull. 5S, U.S. Nat. Mus., p. 425, 1907. 



