PRESIDENT S ADDRESS SECTION D, 



from Tasmania whilst as negative evidence may be noted 

 the absence of the genus Rana in both South America and 

 Australia. 



Reptilia. 



In this group, so far as our present knowledge goes, there 

 are three important facts to be noticed. First, that Tasmania 

 is remarkably poor in representatives of this group ; second, 

 that it does not contain a single genus or even species pecuhar 

 to itself, nor even a genus especially well developed ; and 

 third, that such forms as it does possess are all found in 

 South Victoria, whilst, as Mr. Lucas pointed out in the paper 

 above referred to, the forms characteristic of North Victoria 

 are remarkable for their absence from Tasmania. 



(1) Ophidia. Of the four families represented in Victoria, 

 viz., Typhlopidae, Dendrophidae, Pythonidae and Elapidae, 

 only the latter is found in Tasmania. At the same time only 

 one of the three first is represented in South Victoria and 

 that by a single species. Out of 7 species found in South 

 Victoria C Typhlops hicolor,Pseudechys porphyriaca, Dlemenia 

 superciliosa, Hoplocephalus curtus, superbus, fiagellum, and 

 coronoidesj, 5 are common to Tasmania. Of the 16 species 

 found in North Victoria only two (and these widely distributed 

 forms) are common to Tasmania ( Diemenia superciliosa and 

 Hoplocephalus curtus). All Tasmanian species, as is well 

 known, are venomous and it is therefore interesting to note 

 that in Victoria non-venomous forms, such as the carpet 

 snake fMorelia variegataj, the blind snakes C Typhlops ), 

 &c., are far more abundant in the northern than the southern 

 parts ; in fact, as Mr. Lucas says, " the harmless snakes are 

 characteristic of the northern and rare visitants of the southern 

 division of Victoria." 



Beyond the comparison between South Victoria and Tas- 

 mania, instituted by Mr. Lucas, a suggestive one may be made 

 by comparing the Ophidian fauna of North Victoria with 

 that of South Australia as given by Mr. Zietz. So far 

 9 genera are recorded from the former of which 7 are in 

 common with the latter, whilst out of 16 species in North 

 Victoria 10 are common to South Australia and only 4 to 

 South Victoria ( Typhlops hicolor, Diemenia superciliosa, 

 Pseudechys porphyriacus, Hoplocephalus curtus J. That is, so 

 far as Ophidia are concerned, Tasmania and South Victoria 

 on the one hand, and North Victoria and South Australia on 

 the other, are closely allied. At the same time the two groups 

 are sharply marked off from each other. 



