DESCRIPTION OF SNAKES APPARENTLY NEW. 
By C. W. De VIS, M.A. 
It is impossible to diagnose these species of snakes and neglect 
to pay a large tribute of gratitude to their discoverer, a friend who, 
fortunately for us, inherits from his father his love of and aptness 
for scientific investigation — Dr. T. L. Bancroft. Induced by a 
sense of the value of research into the nature and action on the 
human system of snake venom, with the view of discovering 
remedial agents, Dr. Bancroft has been led to do good service to 
this cause among others, both by his own studies and by supplying 
other experts with the venom of our Australian snakes. Happily 
for both purposes, Stannary Hills, the district in which he has lately 
been sojourning, and other localities, have rendered up to his 
energetic inquiries previously unknown forms of venomous snake 
life. It is good for us to have all the knowledge possible of that 
life, and no disinterested effort for the good of mankind should be 
allowed to pass without receiving tokens of respect. 
TBOPHIDECHIS DUNENSIS, n.s. 
Muzzle short and obtuse. Rye twice as long as its distance 
from the mouth, as long as its distance from the nostril ; rostral 
much broader than long ; its portion visible from above, shorter than 
the internasals ; prefrontals and internasals about equal in length ; 
frontal tumid on the sides, one-fifth longer than broad, as long as 
the parietals, more than twice as broad as the supraoculars, deeply 
sulcated mesially, the sulcus broad in front, narrow posteriorly ; 
nasal tumid, semidivided by a suture on its lower margin, in contact 
with the anterior ocular ; supraorbital narrow, forming with the 
prefrontals a rather distinct canthus rostralis ; oculars 1-1, the 
anterior sunken, the posterior large (probably fused with an upper 
temporal) ; temporal single, wedged in between the fifth and sixth 
upper labials ; upper labials seven, third and fourth entering the 
orbit; two pairs of chin shields between the incurved first lower 
