34 REPTILES. 
c. Head depressed, shielded, prominent over the eyes. Nostrils between 
two shields. Pupil erect, elliptical. Tail ending in a recurved 
spine ; subcaudal plates one-rowed. Acanthophina. 
9. ACANTHOPHIs. 
Head-shield rather scale-like ; loreal shields none; eyes sur- 
rounded beneath with a series of shields ; labial shields large ; scales 
smooth, rather thin; anterior dorsal keeled. 
Acanthophis, Daud. Rept. v. 287. Cuvier, R. A. 11.79. Wag- 
ler, Amph. 172. Bote, Isis, 1827, 556. Ophryas, Merrem, Tent. 
146, 1820. Boa sp., Shaw. 
1. The DeatnH Apper. Acanthophis antarctica, Wagler, 
Syst. 172. Gray, Zool. Misc. 96. Boa antarctica, Shaw, Mise. 
t.35.  Aspis aculeata, #. W. Gray, MSS. Brit. Mus. Boa acu- 
leata, G. Shaw, MSS. Brit. Mus. Boa palbebrosa, Shaw, Zool. 
iii. 362. Ophryas Acanthophis, Merrem, Tent. 147. Beytr. ii. 20, 
t. 9. Vipera Acanthophis, Schlegel, P. S. 605, t. 21, f. 21—23. 
Acanthophis cerastinus, Lacep. Ann. Mus. iv. 10. Daud. Rept. v 
289, t. 67, from Merrem. Guerin, Icon. t. 24, f.2. A. Brownii, 
Leach, Zool. Misc. i. 12, t.35. Schlingende Natter, Merrem, Beytr. 
i. 20, t. 3. Death Viper or Death Adder, Colonists. 
Olive, very minutely punctulated with broad darker cross bands ; 
upper lip white-spotted; lower lip and chin yellow, black-spotted ; 
lowest series of scales and ventral shields dark, yellow-edged. 
a. In spirits. Bleached. Old collection. 
“ Aspis aculeata, #. W.Gray, MSS.” “ Boa aculeata, G. 
Shaw, MSS.” 
6. In spirits. Adult. Australia, Van Dieman’s Land? Presented 
by the Rey. J. Wilton. 
ec. In spirits. Adult. N. W. Australia. 
d. In spirits. Adult. Port Essington. Presented by the Earl of 
Derby. 
e. Stuffed. Adult. Australia. 
The family contains 9 genera and 20 species, of which 2 genera 
and 4 species are from Asia, 5 genera and 12 species from Africa, 
2 genera and 3 species in Europe, and 1 genus and 1 species from 
Australia. All the genera are confined to a single quarter of the 
globe, except Echis, which has 1 species trom Africa and the other 
from India, and each of these species form a subgenus. Schlegel 
described only 12 species. 
