Zoology.'] 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. 



[Reptiles. 



Plate 2. 



HOPLOCEPHALUS SUPERBUS (Gram). 



The Copper-head Snake. 



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

 Opbidia. Fam. Elapidse.) 



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

 depressed, 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. — Vertex plate hexagonal, about twice as long as broad. Fifteen 

 rows of dorsal scales across the middle of the back; ventral plates, 147 to 157 -, sub- 

 caudal plates, 41 to 50 (about) \ color of back varying* from a dark-brown to light 

 reddish-brown, or nearly black, the tip of each scale blackish ; top of head of a dark 

 copper blackish bronze, with two diverging darker extensions forming a V-shaped 

 black patch on neck ; outer row of scales on each side, with a conspicuous white 

 patch on anterior half of each, the tip being blackish ; one or two next outer lateral 

 rows of scales light brick-red for about one-third of their length, the anterior part 

 being lighter and the tip of each blackish. Under side very pale yellowish-olive in 

 front, becoming dark-grey or blackish on middle and tail; hind edge of ventral 

 plates dark-grey and sometimes with a slight reddish line ; plates of sides of the 

 head closely freckled with olive-brown, but each with a conspicuous narrow white 

 anterior margin. 



Reference. — (Giinther) Cat. Colub. Snakes, p. 217. 



To show the constancy of the number of rows of scales across 

 the middle of the back, and the variation of the ventral and sub- 

 caudal plates, I subjoin particulars of five specimens in the National 

 Museum : — 





Number of Eows of Scales on 

 Back. 



Plates. 



Total. 





Neck. 



Middle. 



Base of 

 Tail. 



Ventral. 



Sub- 

 caudal. 



Length. 



Tail. 



Gape. 















ft. in. 



in. 



in. 



1 specimen 



13 



15 



13 



147 



41 



2 5 



4i 



t 



2 



17 



15 



13 



154 



44 



3 4 



6i 



1^ 



3 



15 



15 



13 



154 



49 



2 



H 



Ut 



4 



17 



15 



13 



157 



50 



3 



H 



£ 



5 



17 



15 



13 



152 



47 



3 8 



6| 



... 



[ V] 



