SNAKES. 215 



snake," which had been just killed at the farm 

 of Gudarigby, upon a "flat" near the river: it 

 was of a shining, silvery, black colour above ; 

 the abdomen being dark red : it measured three 

 feet and a half in length, and at its largest cir- 

 cumference, three inches : it was a male spe- 

 cimen. The stomach was fifled with a quantity 

 of green 'frogs with golden spots ; (the Rainette 

 doree of Peron?) some having the appearance of 

 being just swallowed, whilst others were half di- 

 gested : there was also a mass of digested mat- 

 ter, in which the remains of frogs could be dis- 

 tinctly seen. This snake appears to be a species 

 of the genus ^'Acanthophis.'" By the natives of 

 Yas,'the black snake is called " Bulbuk." 



The " brown snake," which I examined, is 

 also venomous, and, according to popular opi- 

 nion, the effect very dangerous upon the human 

 constitution. The specimen measured nearly 

 five feet in length, and five inches at its largest 

 circumference ; the upper part of the body was 

 of a brown colour, (from which no doubt its 

 name is derived,) with a few light shades of 

 black ; the abdomen was of a light, bluish black. 

 In the stomach were found several half-digested 

 lizards, and a quantity of worms, which in some 

 parts had even perforated the coats : on a further 

 examination, the lungs were also found per- 



