79 



restricted by M. Paul Gervais, who separates, under the name of 

 Probuscidea, those species which have a longer and more pointed 

 snout, such as E. saxatilis and E. villosa. 



6. On the Genus Elaps or Wagler. By Dr. A. Gunther. 

 (Reptilia, PI. XVI.-XVIII.) 



One of the most happy generic combinations in Wagler' s ' System 

 der Amphibien ' is the genus Elaps. He takes as the character of 

 Elaps the grooved fangs in front, which are not followed by smaller 

 and smooth teeth (pp. 193, 283), and thus he not only excludes 

 those non-venomous snakes included by Schneider (Hist. Amphib. 

 ii. p. 289), the first founder of the genus, but by this admirably- 

 chosen character he removes also those species of the subsequently 

 discovered genera of Diemansia and Hoplocephalus which Schlegel 

 afterwards united with Elaps. The diagnosis given by Wagler, p. 1 93, 

 and more fullydetailed at pp. 282,283,is most accurate and definite : — 

 " Body elongate, equally cylindrical ; head not distinct from body ; 

 tail short, conical ; eyes small ; scales smooth, equal, those of the ver- 

 tebral line not larger ; subcaudals two-rowed. Mandibulary and facial 

 bones only slightly expansible ; grooved fangs in front, without smaller 

 teeth behind." Thus we see the genus Elaps, as given by Dumeril and 

 Bibron in their 'Erpetologie Generale,' already fully circumscribed 

 by Wagler ; and I am surprised that Dumeril, when giving a histo- 

 rical sketch of the genus, does not mention that his predecessor was 

 the actual definer of the genus Elaps. Besides, Wagler had already 

 shown that the species coming from the same part of the globe 

 exhibit common characters; and in enumerating the species he divides 

 them into the following sections : — 



a. Corpore vittato (ex Asia) ; 



/3. Corpore annulate : — 



* Ex Africa; ** Ex America : 



an arrangement which we see adopted in the "Tableau Synop- 

 tique des Especes," 'Erpet. Gener.' vii. p. 1207, but without refer- 

 ence to the geographical distribution. Australian Elapes were un- 

 known to Wagler, it being impossible, without specimens, to trace 

 the genus in the figure given by White, ' Journ. N. S. Wales,' App. 

 p. 259. Snake No. 2. 



I need not enter on a detailed description of the mode of life of 

 these Snakes, as it has been already given by distinguished travellers, 

 who all agree in the fact that they belong to the slowest of the 

 tribe, with the most uniform and sedentary life, always living on dry 

 ground in shady places. No other Snakes exhibit such a similarity 

 to Elaps in its mode of life, and such a powerless muscular organi- 

 zation, as the Calamariidce; and this is why we so often find the former 

 destroying the latter : the venomous snake is able to overpower the 

 non-venomous, even if larger. Specimens dissected by me exhibited 

 only a small number of eggs. Notwithstanding this sedentary life, 

 and this diminished faculty of i)ropagation, we find the genus Ekq^s 



