40 ON THE SNAKES OF SYDNEY, 



feet or more in length occur, I doubt not, though they are very 

 rare indeed, and have never come under my notice. 



The way in which Diamond Snakes capture their prey is as 

 follows : 



The snake suspends itself from the branch of some low bush 

 or tree and watches for the victim, which often plays about near 

 its unseen enemy. The reptile, with its neck and head bent 

 into the form of an S, deliberately measures its distance, un- 

 coiling more of its body if necessary, and often almost touch- 

 ing the animal it is in wait for ; as soon as the snake is sure 

 to reach its victim, it darts forward, generally catching the 

 prey by one of the hind legs, and instantly takes a turn around 

 its body, soon extinguishing life through its powerful pressure. 

 As soon as the animal is quite dead, the process of swallowing 

 begins, the snake always commencing with the head ; this 

 done, the reptile will often for days together bask in the sun, 

 until the food is so far digested as to impede its movements 

 no longer. 



If a snake is disturbed during this state, it will almost always 

 throw up the half digested carcass. 



In a state of nature they never touch any food except living 

 animals. I once, however, observed a Diamond Snake, which was 

 kept in a cage, swallow a rat which had been killed by a Brown - 

 banded snake (Hoploceplialus curtus.) 



The present species is greatly infested by various kinds of 

 Intestinal worms, including a Tape worm, clusters of which I 

 have frequently taken from the stomach of this reptile. 



Before concluding, a few remarks will be necessary with re- 

 gard to the Carpet Snake (Morelia variegata). 



There is very little, if any difference in the distribution and 

 number of scales between the Diamond and Carpet Snakes, the only 

 character in which both snakes vary, is the coloration ; the first 

 having a yellow spot in the centre of each scale, whilst the latter 

 has the back ornamented with numerous irregular black edged 

 brown blotches ; the belly, as in the Diamond Snake, being yellowish. 

 I have mentioned before the remarkable fact, that the Carpet 

 Snake is found in every part of Australia, except the Coast 

 District, say from Cape Howe to the Hastings, and about 100 miles 



