SNAKES. 237 



a. Adult. Swan River. 



b, c. Half-grown. W. Australia. 



d. Half-grown : bad state. W. Australia. 



Description. — Body elongate, rounded, slightly compressed 

 towards behind; tail very short; head moderate, not distinct 

 from neck, similar to Elaps ; rostral shield very large, rounded, 

 raised above the surface of snout ; occipitals rather narrow ; two 

 posterior oculars; anterior large, replacing the loreal together 

 with the nasal ; nasal shield single, pierced in the centre by the 

 small nostril; six upper labials, third and fourth coming into 

 the orbit ; one large temporal shield in contact with the upper 

 posterior ocular, two smaller ones behind. Scales smooth, large, 

 rather rounded behind, in fifteen rows. Anal and subcaudals 

 bifid. Tail ending in an obtuse conical scale. Two small fangs 

 in front of upper jaw, no other teeth behind ; palatine and man- 

 dibulary teeth equal in length. Crown of head and muzzle 

 black ; a yellowish band across the posterior frontals, a second on 

 the neck ; body and tail encircled by alternate black and white 

 (in spirits) rings. Length of cleft of mouth A-" ; length of tail 

 H"; total length 28". 



