October, 1911.] 



339 



Miscellaneous* 



doubt existing as to whether the reptiles 

 inflicting the bites were really venomous. 



As a matter of fact, far more of the 

 Australian snakes are non-venomous 

 than is generally supposed. The late 

 Dr. Krefft, for many years Curator of 

 the Australian Museum, Sydney, and 

 a recognised authority on Australian 

 snakes, describes twenty-one innocuous 

 and forty-two venomous snakes of 

 this country ; but of the latter, 

 he says, not more than five species are 

 dangerous to man or the larger animals, 

 and these retire underground for nearly 

 five months of the year. The four 

 Queensland snakes which are mostly to 

 be dreaded are the deaf adder, the black 

 shake; the brown snake, and the tiger 

 snake. To the miner, prospector, and 

 ordinary bushman, many opportunities 

 are afforded of examining dead snakes ; 

 and, with a little observation and study, 

 he might soon be able to tell at a 

 glance the poisonous from the harmless 

 species. 



In the first place, on opening the 

 mouth of a non-venomous snake, a row 

 of small teeth will be seen along each 

 jaw, and when such a snake bites he 



leaves two rows of small , . 



punctures, thus— . . 



In the venomons snake these small teeth 

 are rudimentary, and leave no marks ; 

 but towards the outer edge of the 

 upper jaw there are two fangs, and 

 the punctures left by the bite from 

 these are two in number, thus — . . 

 These fangs which are the means by 

 which the poison is conveyed from the 

 snake to the person bitten, are not 

 always in a state of projection, and 

 it may be necessary to press the gum 

 down with a stick or penknife before 

 they can be seen ; but this should be 

 done with caution, and when it is certain 

 the snake is dead. Sometimes, however, 

 the punctures are not sufficiently distinct 

 for them to be accepted as a reliable 

 guide ; but where the snake is seen there 

 are other characteristics which will 

 assist in the identification. According 

 to Dr. Krefft, the gape of the mouth of 

 the non-venomous Australian snake is 

 usually curved upwards ; while in the 

 venomous it forms a straight line. 

 Again, an important distinction is to be 

 found in the labial (lip) scales. Dr. 

 Krefft says that of the labials there are 

 seven or more in non-venomous snakes, 

 while in the venomous " there are 

 generally only six (we may say always 

 six— never more)." He adds that " it may 

 safely be asserted that by these shields 



alone can the harmless or venomous 

 character of snakes be ascertained. 

 This rule does not apply to sea snakes, 

 nor to blind snakes ot the family 

 Typhlopidce, but to Australian venomous 

 and innocuous colubrine snakes only." 

 Another distinctive mavk is that in the 

 non-venomous snake there is a loreal 

 scale, which is absent in nearly all 

 Australian snakes. This loreal scale is 

 a supplementary scale which, in the 

 non-venomous snake, is to be found on 

 the cheek between a labial scale below 

 and a frontal scale above, and between 

 the ocular and nasal scales. In the 

 venomous snake these four scales — the 

 labial, frontal, ocular, and nasal — all 

 unite at one point, and are not separated 

 from each other, as in the harmless 

 snake by the loreal scale. 



The head and mouth characteristics 

 which distinguish the two classes of 

 reptiles can be seen at a glance from 

 the accompanying reproduction of ex- 

 cellent photographs taken from Nature 

 by Dr. John Thomson, of Brisbane, who 

 is a keen student of this subject, and 

 who kindly placed his pictures and other 

 useful information readily at our dis- 

 posal for the purpose of this article.* 



Dr. Thomson also has in his possession 

 a diagram (in the shape of Rig. 2*) 

 showing, in such a way that "he who 

 runs may read," the chief distinguishing 

 features between the venomous and 

 harmless snake. This diagram, which 

 was originally prepared to illustrate a 

 lecture, should be cut out, and kept by 

 persons in the bush in some place where 

 it may be readily and often seen, so that 

 its points may become impressed on the 

 mind. 



To Distinguish Venomous from Non- 

 venomous Snakes by Head Charac- 

 teristics (Krefft). 



Venomous. Non-venomous; 

 Gape of mouth, straight Gape of mouth, curved up- 



wards 



Labial scales, six Labial scales, seven or 



more 



Loreal scales, absent Loreal scales, present 



Bite marks 



Bite marks . 



Dr, Krefft states that an Australian 

 snake that is not thicker than a man's 

 little finger, whatever may be its length, 

 cannot by its bite endanger the life of 

 au adult human being. It may be added 

 that the true jresh water snake is always 

 harmless, while the saltwater or sea 

 snakes are always poisonous. Few of 

 the tree snakes are venomous ; while the 

 carpet snake and the so-called " green 

 snakes " are innocuous. Very often a 

 thick woollen sock or stocking will pre- 

 vent injury from the bite of a snake, as 



* Not reproduced. 



