226. ACANTHOPHIS. 355 



1. AcanthopMs antarcticus. 



Merrem, Beiir. ii. p. 20, pi. xiii. (1790). 



Boa antai'ctica, Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. cccccxxxv. (1794). 



palpebrosa, Shaiv, Zool. iii. p. 362 (1802). 



Acanthophis cerastinus, Baud. Mept. v. p. 289, pi. Ixvii. (1803) ; 



Gu4r. Icon. S. A., Rept. pi. xxii. (1844) ; Bum. Sf Bibr. vii. p. 1889 



(1854). 



brownii, Leach, Zool. Misc. i. pi, iii. (1814). 



Ophryas acanthophis, Merr. Tent. p. 147 (1820). 



Vipera acanthophis, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 605, pi. xxi. figs. 21-23 



(1837). 

 Acanthophis antarctica, Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 71 (1842), and Cat. 



p. 34 (1849) ; Kreffl, Sn. Austral, p. 80, pi. x. & pi. xi. fig. 7 



(1869) ; McCoy, Pi-odr. Zool. Vict, Dec. 2, p. 11, pi. xii. (1878) ; 



Peters S/- Boria, Ann. Mus. Geneva, xiii. 1878, p. 91; McCay, 



Proc. Linn. Soc. iV. S. W. (2) iv. 1890, p. 893, pis. xxv.-xxvii. ; 



Boettg. Ber. Offenb. Ver. Nat. 1892, p. 155. 

 IsBvis, Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. W. ii. 1877, p. 40 ; 



Bouglas Ogilby, Bee. Austral. Mus. i. 1890, p. 99. 

 prselongus, Ramsay, Proc. Linn, Soc. N. S. W. ii. 1877, p. 72. 



Head with elevated sides, the lores very oblique. Eye much 

 shorter than its distance from the mouth. Eostral large, twice as 

 broad as deep, with horizontal edge, its upper portion measuring 

 one half to two thirds its distance from the frontal ; internasals as 

 long as broad, or a little broader than long, as long as or shorter 

 than the prsefrontals ; frontal narrower than the supraocular, twice 

 as long as broad, as long as or a little shorter than its distance 

 from the end of the snout, as long as or a little longer than the 

 parietals ; supraocular often raised and angular, horn-like (Boa 

 palpebrosa, Shaw, A. IcBvis, Macl.) ; upper head-shields more or less 

 rugose or striated ; nasal large, in contact with the single prse- 

 ocular ; two postoculars ; two or three suboculars, separating the 

 eye from the labials ; temporals 2-3 -|- 2-4 ; six or seven upper 

 labials; four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- 

 shields, which are as long as or a little shorter than the posterior. 

 Scales in 21 or 23 rows, dorsals more or less distinctly, sometimes 

 very faintly keeled. Ventrals 113-130 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 

 41-51, the 5 to 27 last divided. Yellowish, reddish, or greyish 

 brown above, with more or less distinct dark cross-bands, with or 

 without small black spots ; lips with black or blackish spots or bars ; 

 sides spotted with black ; belly yellowish white, uniform or more or 

 less spotted with brown or black ; end of tail yellow or black. 



Total length 850 millim. ; tail 150. 



Moluccas, New Guinea, Australia. 



a. 3 (Sc. 21 ; V. 114 ; Ceram. Dr. Bleeker. 



0. 46). 

 h-d. d (Sc. 21 ; V. 116 ; N. Ceram. 



C. 60), ? (Sc. 21 ; 

 V. 120 ; 0. 44), & yg. 

 (Sc. 21 ; V. 121; C. ?). 



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