445 



(/) Ophidia, Amphibia, and Pisces. 



3By Edgar R. Waite, F.L.S., Director S.A. Museum. 

 [Contribution from the South Australian Museum.'] 



OPHIDIA. 



PSEUDECHIS AUSTRALIS, 



Gray (Naja australis, Gray, 

 Zool. Misc., 1842, p. 55).— 

 A single specimen, 1240 

 mm. in length, of which 

 the tail measures 185 mm. 

 Olive-green above each scale 

 with darker margin, yellow 

 beneath. The figure pub- 

 lished by Kreffttt> of the 

 upper-surface of the head 

 does not represent the pro- 

 portion or shape of the 

 shields exhibited by the 

 Central Australian speci- 

 men, which are as in the 

 accompanying figure (fig. 1). 

 Demansia mode st a, 

 Giinther (Cacophis modesta, 

 Giinther, Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. (4), ix., 1872, p. 35, 

 pi. iii., fig. c). — Four 

 specimens, two adult and 



two young. The largest example measures 565 mm., the tail 



being 77 mm. in length. Of the three figures illustrating 



this species in the work above 



quoted, that of the upper-surface 



of the head is not wholly accu- 

 rate : for example, one postocular 



on each side only is shown; in 



three of our four specimens the 



number of scales in contact with 



the hinder edges of the parietal 



shields is as in the accompanying 



figure (fig. 2) ; but in the fourth, 



an immature example, they are 



in the larger number shown in 



Giinther's illustration. Counting 



the nuchal bar, one of the young 



specimens has six narrow black 



bands across the body, disposed 



at fairly regular intervals, the ?i g . 2- Demansia modesta, Gunthex. 



(l) Krefft, Snakes of Australia, 1869, p. 47, pi. vi., fig. 11. 



Fig. 1 — Pseudeehis australis, Gray. 



