Zoology.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. ^Reptiles. 



of injecting strong liquor of ammonia into a vein, as advocated by 

 Professor Halford. On this being done by Dr. Halford, who was 

 sent for, to the astonishment of all present, the man instantly re- 

 covered consciousness, the pupils of his eyes contracted, and, sitting 

 up, he recognised his wife and child and friends, and asked some 

 questions about domestic matters, after having been cold, incapable 

 of seeing, hearing, speaking, or moving, and almost pulseless for 

 hours. He soon recovered, and remained on daily duty until lately.* 

 I have adopted the popular name "copper-head" for this snake 

 from a well-known vendor of a supposed antidote for snake-bites, 

 who used to go about the streets with several specimens of this 

 species in the bosom of his shirt, protruding now and then around 

 his neck. On the evening of the last day on which I saw this, he 

 was induced to cause one of them to bite him, to show the value of 

 his antidote, and was dead in a few hours. The color of the head 

 is like that of an old dark copper coin. In Tasmania the name 

 "Diamond Snake" is unfortunately given to this species, for that 

 name properly belongs to a perfectly harmless snake of New South 

 Wales, so that the numerous experiments made in former years in 

 Tasmania to test the value of some pretended antidote, were supposed 

 in London to have been made with the true harmless Diamond 

 Snake, instead of, as was the case, with this very poisonous kind. 



Explanation op Figures. 



Plate 2. — Fig. 1, rather light-colored specimen, two-thirds natural size. Fig. la, head of 

 same specimen, natural size, viewed from above, showing the length and form of the vertex 

 plate, with other plates of the head and the form of the V-shaped dark mark on back of neck, 

 natural size. Fig. lb, head of same specimen viewed from below, showing the chin plates and 

 lower labials, natural size. Fig. \c, side view of portion of same specimen, natural size. Fig. 

 Id, interior of palate of same specimen, natural size, showing the rostral and labial plates, the 

 two long rows of small solid teeth on palate, the two poison fangs, and three smaller solid teeth 

 after an interval behind each. Fig. le, portion of underside of same specimen, natural size, 

 showing the last ventral plates, the first subcaudals, and the anal plate. Fig. 2, portion of tail 

 of another specimen, natural size, showing an odd intercalated plate on one side. Fig. 3, head 

 of another specimen, natural size, showing the vertex plate more acutely pointed in front than 

 usual. Fig. 3a, side view of same specimen, showing the single nasal plate pierced by the 

 nostril. Fig. 4, plates of upper part of head, one-third larger than nature, to show the elongate 

 narrow usual form of the vertex plate. Fig. 5, side view of rather pale reddish specimen, 

 natural size. 



Frederick McCoy. 



* Some account of this and forty other cases of similarly treated snake-bites will be found 

 in the Australian Medical Journal for March 1875. 



Dec. i. [ 9 ] 



