42 ON THE SNAKES OF SYDNEY, 



1. BLAPID^E ; OB ELAPIDES. 



Diemenia. Gray, 



Diemenia psammophis. Schleg. 



The Grey Snake. 



Scales in 15 rows. 

 Anal bifid. 

 Ventrals 177. 

 Subcaudals 85/85. 



The present species has been described by Dr. Giinther as 

 D. reticulata, under which name I have frequently alluded to it. 

 It appears, however, that the snake to which Giinther refers in 

 his Cat. of Colubrine Snakes, when quoting Schlegel's figure 

 (AbMldungen Tab. 46, No. 14), is that author's D. psammopliis, 

 which name has the priority, and ought to be adopted instead of, 

 D. reticulata. The coloration is a uniform grey above, and 

 greenish below, the central part of the ventrals being con- 

 spicuously marked with green; tips of scales and skin between 

 them, black ; and of tail, salmon .colour ; a yellowish dark 

 edged streak crossing the rostral shield. The eye is encircled 

 first by a black and then by a yellowish line, both ending in a 

 point below the orbit. 



The present species is found in nearly every part of Australia, 

 the extreme North and South excepted. I have taken it eight 

 years ago on the Murray and Darling, and since then specimens 

 have come to hand from Brisbane, Port Curtis, and Rock- 

 hampton. All these snakes differ no more from those of Sydney 

 than these do amongst themselves. Much dependence can 

 never be placed upon coloration as a distinguishing character 

 in snakes, as in this no two reptiles vary so much as a snake 

 about to shed its skin differs from itself after this operation 

 has been successfully performed. I believe the present species 

 to be the most common in our neighbourhood. 



It frequents sandy localities, feeds on insects, small frogs, 

 lizards, &c., and its bite does not cause any more irritation than 

 the sting of a bee; from 15 to 20 eggs are deposited by the 



