Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OE VICTORIA. [Reptiles. 



Plate 3. 



HOPLOCEPHALUS CURTUS (Schlegel sp.). 

 The Tiger Snake. 



[Genus HOPLOCEPHALUS (Cuv.). (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata. Class Reptilia. Order 

 Opbidia. Fam. Elapidse.) 



Gen. Char. — Body and tail moderately thick, gradually tapering. Head subquadrate, de- 

 pressed, rounded in front. Rostral plate moderate ; no loreal plate ; one anterior and two 

 posterior ocular plates ; one nasal plate pierced by the nostril. Scales of back smooth, about 

 15 to 21 rows. Anal and subcaudal plates entire, in one row. Confined to Australia.] 



Description. — Usually 19 (rarely 17 or 18) rows of scales on middle of body; 

 body varying from brownish-olive to light yellowish-brown above, with about 38 to 

 50 darker brown dusky undefined transverse bands, about 2 (or rarely 3 or 4) scales 

 broad, with a rather narrower interval between them. Head darker olive bronze ; 

 chin plates freckled with bright blue ; throat and belly varying from rich king's- 

 yellow to pale straw-yellow ; the edges of the ventral plates lightly freckled with 

 grey in the anterior part of the body, the grey almost excluding the yellow and 

 whitish on the subcaudals and posterior part of belly. In some specimens the yellow 

 is almost whitish or cream color, and the grey mottling becomes almost black 

 towards under side of tail. Vertex head-plate sub-pentagonal, varying from one- 

 fifth to one-fourth longer than wide. The belly is flat, and the back obtusely 

 angulated, most so towards base of tail ; tail conic. 



A large specimen from the junction of the Murray and Darling, with total 

 length from snout to tip of tail of 3 feet J inch ; length of gape, 1 inch ; tail, 5 J 

 inches ; has 15 rows of scales at back of neck, 17 at middle, and 14 near base of 

 tail ; the subcaudals, 46 ; ventrals, 168 ; and about 50 bands. A small specimen from 

 same place — Total length, 13J inches; tail, 2\ inches; has 15 rows of scales at 

 neck, 17 at middle, and 13 at base of tail ; subcaudals, 54; ventrals, 168; and 50 

 bands. Small specimen from same place — Length from tip to tip, 1 foot 3 J inches ; 

 tail, 2 \ inches ; gape, § inch ; has 17 rows of scales at neck, 19 at middle, and 15 

 at base of tail ; its bands are as wide as the length of 2\ scales ; ventral scales, 

 168 ; subcaudals, 50. One moderate sized (the figured) specimen from Prahran, 

 measuring from tip to tip 32 inches; tail, 5 inches ; has 17 rows of scales at neck, 

 19 in the middle, 13 near base of tail, and 49 subcaudals. A very large specimen 

 from junction of Murray and Darling — 4 feet 2 inches ; tail, 4J inches ; has 4 

 small teeth behind each fang ; vertex plate one-fourth longer than wide, more 

 numerous bands becoming obsolete towards the tail ; 15 rows of scales on neck, 17 



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