SNAKES. 85 
A. Tail strongly prehensile ; spurs large, exposed. Head elongate, 
distinct; muzzle truncated. Eyes nocturnal ; pupil oblong, 
erect. 
a. Subcaudal plates two-rowed ; intermaxillary or incisive teeth dis- 
tinct ; super-orbital bone distinct. Old World. Pythonina. 
Pythonina, Gray, Zool. Misc. 1840. Pythoniens, Holodontes, 
Pythonides, Dum. § Bib. Erp. Gen. vi. 381, 1846. Pythophes, 
Fitz. Syst. Rept. 24, 1843. Constrictores pars, Oppell, Rept. 1811. 
Python, Daud. Rept. v. 230, viii. 384. Cuvier, R. A. 
+ Crown of head with small scale-like plates. 
1. More ta. 
Head shields small, scale-like; frontal plates distinct, three 
pairs; vertical plate small; rostral shield single, with a pit on each 
side; three front upper and the hinder lower labial plates pitted - 
nostrils lateral ina single plate, with a groove beneath: eyes late- 
ral; pupil elliptical, erect: scales smooth; subcaudal plates two- 
rowed. Australia. 
Morelia, Gray, Zool. Misc. 43, 1842. Echidna sp., Merrem, 
Tent. Dum. §& Bib. Erp. Gen. vi. 383. Python, Wagler, Syst. 
Amph. 168, 1830. Python sp., Cuvier, R. A. Fitz. N. Class. R. 
54, Syst. Rept. 24. Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 
* Vertical plate indistinct. 
1. The Dtamonp Snake. Morelia spilotes. Coluber spilotes, 
Lacep. Ann. Mus. iv. 194 (1802). Echidna spilotes, Merrem, Amph. 
150. Python spilotes, Gray, King’s Voy. ii. Snake, Nos. 1 and 
10, White, Voy. N. S. Wales, 259. Australian Snake, Shaw, Zool. 
iii. 505, and vignette on title-page. Python punctatus, Merrem, 
Amph. 90. Fitz. N. Class. 54. Bote, Isis, xx. 526. Python Pe- 
ronii, Cuvier, Mus. Paris, 1827. Lesson, Ann. Sci. Nat. xiii. 391. 
Wagler, Icon. Amph. t.1. Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 421, t. 15, f. 11, 
12. Fitz, Syst. Rept. 24. Serpens arabica, Seba, ii. 108, t. 103, 
f. 1? 1734. Vipera argus, Klein. Tent. 21 (1755). Coluber argus, 
Linn. Syst, Nat. i. 389, 1758. Daud. Rept. vi. 312. Natrix argus, 
I 
