50 ON THE SNAKES OF SYDNEY, 



upper labials, third and fourth coming into the orbit ; a white or 

 yellowish-edged dark streak from behind the eye to the back of 

 the head, no collar ; eye moderate, pupil rather sub-elliptical ; in 

 young individuals the pupil appears always quite rounded ; scales 

 six-sided, much larger on the sides than upon the back; skin 

 between the scales black. 



Young specimens have the whitish streak behind the eye 

 very distinct and often extended on the other side as far as the 

 nostril ; the apical half of the tail is either whitish or salmon- 

 coloured below ; in other respects they do not differ from the 

 adult in colour, except that the whitish hue on the sides of the 

 neck is less distinct. In the adult subject the head is often much 

 paler than the other part of the body, which is either olive brown 

 or brownish black above, and bluish black or bluish grey below ; 

 the fourth part of each ventral scale is clouded with grey on the 

 sides, leaving a much darker band in the middle, which, approach- 

 ing the neck, diminishes in size ; the sides of the neck below and 

 the chin shields being of a yellowish hue. Individuals occur 

 occasionally, which are almost black above ; others, particularly 

 those about to shed their skin, appear pale brown above, and 

 bluish grey below ; in removing any of the ventral plates, the 

 skin below is always jet black. 



Habitat. 



The present species abounds in sandy or swampy localities 

 near Sydney ; the country between the City and Botany is much 

 frequented by these snakes ; they appear to be nocturnal, and are 

 seldom observed during the day-time ; they often prey upon each 

 other, but generally upon the smaller Batrachians (Cystignathus 

 and Pseudophryne) which I have frequently taken from 

 their stomachs ; various kinds of insects, small lizards, &c. } 

 are also devoured by them. The venom of this snake 

 does not effect the larger vertebrated animals. I have at 

 various times experimented upon cats and goats with it, but 

 without a single fatal result ; in fact the animals bitten did not 

 appear to be affected at all. 



Mrs. Edw. Forde of Ash Island, to whom I am greatly in- 

 debted for much valuable information respecting the reptilian 

 fauna of the Hunter River, informs me that Hoplocephalus 



