224 mr. g. krefft on australian snakes. [nov. 11, 



2. On a New Bird from the Island of Madagascar. 

 By Dr. G. Hartlaub, For. Memb. 



CucuLUS ROCHii, sp. nov. Supra ardesiacus ; gutture pallidius 

 cinereo ; pectore et abdomine in /undo alho-fiamcantihus, fasciis 

 rarioribus angustis nigricantibus ; subalaribus Jlavescenti-albi- 

 dis, tenuissime ardesiaco fasciolatis ; subcaudalibus ochraceis, 

 maculis nonnullis nigris ; rectricibus nigris, maculis rarioribus 

 minutis albis prope scapam notatis, omnium apicibus albis ; ala 

 extus unicolore, nigricante, remigum pogoniis internis albo 

 fasciatis vel postice transversim maculatis ; maxilla nigricante ; 

 mandibula flava, apice obscura ; pedibus flavis. 

 Long. 10-11"; rostr. a fr. 8'"; al. 5" 11'"; caud. 5" 7-8"'. 

 Syn. " Cuculus canorus, L., common at Madagascar," Desjardins, 

 P. Z. S. 1832, p.m. C. tenuirostris, Jules Verreaux, MS. (olim). 

 Nearly allied to certain Indian species, but in all probability di- 

 stinct. In an old MS. of my friend Jules Verreaux I find an accu- 

 rate description of this species, under the often misused name of 

 Cuculus tenuirostris. 



Named after Dr. S. Roch, who accompanied the mission sent last 

 year by the Government of Mauritius to that of Madagascar. 



3. Notes upon Australian Snakes, and their Geogra- 

 phical Distribution. By Gerard Krefft. 



Acanthophis antarctica. — This species, very common in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Sydney, ranges over the whole continent, the southern 

 part of Victoria excepted. I have captured specimens on the banks 

 of the Murray, on the Darling, and in South Australia ; and there 

 are specimens in the Museum collection from all parts of this colony, 

 also from Queensland. Dr. J. E. Gray mentions, in the 'British 

 Museum Catalogue,' that only the anterior dorsal scales are keeled ; 

 but a great number of specimens which I have examined had eight 

 rows of the dorsal scales distinctly keeled to the root of the tail. 

 The different specimens vary much in colour and markings. 



Of Hydridce the Australian Museum is in possession of a good 

 many different species, but without notes of the localities where they 

 were captured. Lapemis curtus and Pelamis bicolor are frequently 

 found on this part of the Austrahan coast. Of the last-mentioned 

 species I captured a specimen some months ago in Botany Bay, 

 containing five young ones. 



Of Boidce we have only one species in this neighbourhood — Mo- 

 relia spilotes, which is one of the most common Snakes found here. 

 I think it is not generally known that the range of this species is 

 very limited, and that it is only found within a radius of 200 or 300 

 miles from Sydney. On the Murray and Darhng, in South and 

 West Australia, and in the northern part of the continent, Morelia 

 variegata represents the genus. I have never seen specimens of 

 Morelia spilotes from the Clarence River, or from the country to 



