THE ORDER OF SNAKES—OPHIDIA. 1 
this account they are designated as Venomous Colubrine Snakes, and form 
the second suborder of snakes.” All our Australian venomous serpents 
belong to this suborder (except the “Death Adder,” Acanthophis antarctica, 
which occupies an intermediate position between the venomous colubrine 
snakes and the venomous snakes properly so called). 
The third group or suborder is formed by those reptiles which have 
an exceedingly long venom fang, with a perfectly closed and externally 
invisible channel in its interior. The American Rattlesnake, the African 
Puff Adder, and other highly venomous serpents, may be mentioned as 
examples of this group. To give some idea of the relative size of the 
venom fangs in snakes of the third or viperine suborder, we refer to plate 
VI, fig. 1, which represents the skull of the American Rattlesnake (Crotalus 
durissus), whilst fig. 2 represents that of the Australian Black Snake ( Pseu- 
dechis porphyriacus). The fangs of the latter are scarcely large enough to 
penetrate common cloth or leather; they do not pierce ordinary bush boots, 
as has been frequently proved by experiment. If plate V, fig. 1 (the skull 
of the harmless Diamond Snake) be compared with the two previous figures, 
it will be seen at a glance where lies the difference between a venomous and 
a harmless serpent. The third suborder has no representatives in Australia. 
Owing to a limited power of locomotion, snakes are very much restricted 
in their habitat; and, though rich in the number of species, Australia has 
but few genera of Ophidian reptiles, when compared with other countries 
in the same latitude. The four Blind Snakes, two Colubrides, two Fresh 
Water Snakes, and three Tree Snakes, belong to genera which are not 
peculiarly Australian ; while the six species of Rock Snakes are not found 
beyond this region—that is, not in India or the islands of the Archipelago ; 
Timor, New Ireland, and the Fiji Group, being the extreme northern limits of 
their geographical distribution. Twenty-three species constitute the whole 
of the Australian non-venomous snakes; and, not counting the Blind Snakes, 
we have but five harmless Ophidians in New South Wales. The second 
suborder, comprising the Venomous Colubrine Snakes, is, however, very 
large; and forty-two well-defined Australian species are known at present. 
Nearly all the larger kinds have the power of dilating the skin of the neck, 
and resemble in this respect the Hooded Snakes or “ Najas” of India. 
The Brown-banded Snake (Hoplocephalus curtus), the Large-scaled Snake 
(Hoplocephalus superbus), the Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus), and 
the Orange-bellied Snake (Pseudechis australis), belong to this group, and 
