ocul.it. uppet labial and rostral scales, 

 which an; a Ctvamv citluui. Ihe head 

 patch extends hack lor 4-0 vertebral 

 scale rows hehmd ihe parictals. In 

 one specimen examined Ihete is a 

 I. mil sign ol a vertebral stripe, vvhuh 

 is less prommenl than lound on I). 

 l>n vi,„tut,t. Like P. hn vitutuhi. this 

 species has I S scale rows at mid- 

 body. 



DiStffttHtiW- Within Victoria, south 

 wards Irom the Murray River through 

 (foe central regions and (he western 

 fooihills of the Gltai Dividing Range 

 ttj Ihe Scymoui district. Hie Museum 

 has one early specimen labelled 

 T ratikxtou", hut some doubt exists 

 as to ils provenance. /). Jnyrn also 

 occurs in similar habitats from sout.li 

 em Queensland through New South 

 Wales. 



Dniiuiniu htfvicaitiln Mitchell. I''51 

 Mitchell's Shori-nuled Snake 



This species has a similar head 

 shape and pattern to /) i/u ven, and 

 can be best separated Irom il by the 

 dark vertebral stripe as well as a 



dillerenl habilal. Originally desctilv,; 

 as a subspecies of /) niiimuriiuu, - 

 long-tailed species Irom not ■Ih-ca.stuT 

 Australia, these species can he rendih 

 repainted Irom one another (j) tj ;i . 

 length oi the tail, which m />,,.,,. 

 centra has 23-29 snheaudals (Mitchell, 

 l')5|t as against {Stouleflg* 

 189ft,) in /_). utgnstnuta 

 Distnhitiioit: The warmer drier areas 

 in the north-west ol Ihe Male, fmn, 

 Ihe Tittle Desert northwards to the 

 Murray River It also occurs in the 

 adjacent areas ol South Australia. 



A<bi<>*l>-,l«cma<r. I Hiank Mr. \< 

 A. Rawlinson ol I alrobe Universe 

 for olfcrmg constructive advice 



Ki 1 1 m m i s 

 Houlengcr, C. A.. I8'»h. I at. Mial.es ft 



Ihe Htilish Museum | MJr* 

 Kietl'l. Oji ISsW Snakes of Auslialiu: 



7t>, 



Mitchell. I-. J.. 1V.M Wee !s A Mu, , 

 fi 550-1. 



tuvdliuen P 1^*. 1971 Victorian Vea 



Ito.-k, 85- II it,. 

 Worrell, L.. t"56. 4,<M, Zoo/ . 12: 202-S. 

 Worrell. h\. 1%3. Reptiles of AusUulia: 



135-rv 



Penguins 



by Myfa.vwy Hi mini i i 



I hose funny little men in evening 

 suits! Everybody loves penguins. 

 I here are about eighteen varieties ol 

 penguins, depending on how some ol 

 the variations are classified, tanging 

 from the huge FLmperors, standing 

 4N tactlCS h| t>h, to oiu own 14 inch 

 Tames, properly known as Northern 

 Blue?, Not all penguins arc black and 

 white; Lmperors and Kings have a 

 lot ol yellow and gold, some base 

 cKush or bluish feathers, and many 



have crests of v.uiuii.x sizes, shape* 

 and colours Nearly all chicks W 

 brownish or greyish. 



Penguins aie not. as main people 

 think, degenerate birds thai have lost 

 Ihe ait of Hying, but are ;imcmgst 

 the most highly specialised of out 

 fauna, and arc perfectly adapted M 

 the arduous conditions Wider Wttldl 

 mosi nl them breed. I hoy spend itlMI 

 ol their time at sea and have very 

 powerful pectoral muscles anil shone 



306 



m. Nat Vol 88 



