52 ON THE SNAKES OF SYDNEY, 



it was to be found in the British Museum. Since then I have 

 been able to collect several hundreds of these snakes, which are 

 strictly nocturnal in their habits, and seldom if ever observed 

 during the day time. They may be procured from under stones 

 in sunny localities during the cold season, and all the stony ridges 

 around Sydney have harboured them in large numbers. At the 

 present time they begin to become scarce, many of their favourite 

 haunts being invaded by the gardener or the builder. 



The bite of this snake is not sufficiently strong to endanger 

 the life of man. I have been wounded by it several times, and 

 experienced no bad symptoms beyond a slight headache ; the spot 

 where the fang entered turning blue to about the size of a shilling, 

 for a few days. 



Cats, dogs, and goats have been frequently experimented 

 upon without any fatal result. 



In January or February the female produces from 15 to 20 

 young ones, which, though only a few inches long, will show fight 

 if one attempts to lift them ; the adults always look formidable if 

 attacked. 



The snake which Schlegel describes as Naja bungaroides 

 Abbildungen, Tab. 48, fig. 17 and 18, is nothing but a variety of 

 the present species. The Australian Museum is in possession of 

 a specimen from the Hastings, which is banded instead of having 

 the irregular blotches of H. variegatus. 



HOPLOCEPHALUS CURTUS. Schleg. 

 The Brown-banded Snake. 

 Scales in 18 rows anteriorly, and in 19 posteriorly. 



Yentrals 169. 

 Subcaudals 44. 



Body rounded, rather depressed, tail moderate, not distinct 

 from trunk ; head large, broad, very distinct from neck, crown 

 flat, muzzle rounded ; superciliaries slightly prominent, and 

 sometimes two grooves before the eye. All the shields of the 

 head very broad, the vertical almost square, with an obtuse angle 

 behind ; occipitals deeply forked, sides sometimes jagged, with a 



