54 AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 
or clouded belly, or greyish above, and of a similar color below, with here 
and there a few black spots upon the back, indicating the position of the 
obliterated bands. When black and only half-grown, the Tasmanian 
snakes shew the bands very distinctly. This species inhabits almost every 
part of Australia, from the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria ; it is the 
most dangerous of all our reptiles, and a fair bite from it will kill animals 
the size of a goat in about an hour. Upon its own body, or that of another 
highly venomous species, the bite has no effect. 
Thirty or more young are produced, every season, varying in color 
quite as much as old individuals do. They retire into the ground in 
winter, and make their appearance, according to the temperature, in 
August or the beginning of September—in southern districts much later. 
When attacked, and seeing no means of escape, this snake raises the fore 
part of the body off the ground, not unlike a Cobra, to which it is closely 
allied, and flattens the neck, though not to such an extent as the Indian 
Naja tripudians. 
LaRGE-SCALED SNAKE. -Hoplocephalus superbus. 
(Plate XI, fig. 9.) 
Holocephalus superbus, Giinther, Cat. of Colubr. Snakes in Coll. Brit. Mus., p. 217. 
Scales in 15 rows. 
Abdominal plates, 150 to 160. 
One anal plate. 
Subcaudals in one series, 50 or more. 
Total length of adult, 5 to 6 feet. 
Head, 1 inch. 
Tail, 6 to 7 inches. 
Shields of the head smaller than in H. curtus, the middle or vertical 
plate about as long again as broad; head high, rather distinct from neck, 
somewhat pointed ; body stout, with very large ventral plates, all clouded 
towards the tail, clear, and of a bright yellow on the anterior part of the 
body; general color, a dark copper brown, the two outer rows of scales 
on each side with a pink or red spot in the middle, those near the neck often 
somewhat lighter; close to the tail the spots are less bright, and some- 
times obliterated. Western individuals occur with darker heads, and 
without the pinkish outer row of scales. It is probable that there are as 
many variations in this as in other prolific species, so that it is difficult to 
give a description that will be applicable to every individual snake. 
