1869.] MR. G. KREFFT ON NEW AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 321 
Head very flat ; rostral not quite so high as in V. annulata; ver- 
tical and occipitals more elongate. Head, body, and tail covered by 
fifty-nine elliptical spots, which, only in a few instances near the tail, 
join beneath, but very faint and scarcely a line in width. On the 
middle of the back these spots are about 3 inch wide. 
Hab. The Upper Burdekin. A single specimen in the Museum 
collection. 
DentsoniA, Krefft. 
Head high and quadrangular, distinct from trunk, regularly 
shielded, but with a large loreal, which is absent in all other Aus- 
tralian venomous Snakes. Body not very elongate. 
DENISONIA ORNATA. (Fig. 7.) 
The present species is a very peculiar form on account of the 
loreal shield, which in the venomous Colubrine Snakes is, I believe, 
generally absent. The head is rather thick, distinct from trunk, 
high, and quadrangular, with shelving snout; and in this respect 
resembles the genus Acanthophis. The markings of the upper and 
lower labials, the chin-shields, and the first ten or fifteen abdominal 
plates are almost identical with those of young Death-adders of the 
first year. The occiput is black from the posterior frontals to the 
commencement of the neck, leaving a mottled spot on the inner 
margin of the superciliaries, and another very small one at the pos- 
terior part of the vertical. The tips of the two occipitals and the 
scale between them are also light-coloured; and below these is another 
whitish spot formed by the inner portions of eight scales with a 
darker centre. The occipitals are slightly raised above the eye, and 
resemble in this respect the same scales in Acanthophis. The frontals 
are shelving downwards ; and the rostral is very low, and not visible 
from above if the head is put in a horizontal position. Body and 
tail above lead-coloured, beneath whitish; the abdominals with 
brown spots in the corner of each plate, which become faint towards 
the tail. 
Denisonia ornata. 
Hab. Mr. Thomas Nobbs, a liberal donor to the Museum, dis- 
covered this new Snake near Rockhampton, in Queensland. 
EmypocreruHauus, Krefft. 
Anterior half of the trunk rounded, posterior part compressed ; 
ventral plates well developed. Head shielded, gape of mouth short ; 
