96 
Somerset, Cape York, have been carefully compared with the 
present example and with a series of A. antarcticus from New 
South Wales. 
Morelia variegata. 
Gray , Brit . A fus. Catal. p. 86. 
Scales in from forty-two to forty-eight series round the middle 
of the body ; abdominal plates from two hundred and sixty-seven 
to two hundred and seventy-one; anal plate single; subcaudal 
plates in two rows from seventy-seven to seventy-nine in each, 
body elongate and compressed ; head very distinct from the trunk, 
flattened superiorly ; tail short, sharply defined from the body, 
the upper surface and sides rounded, the lower surface flat, 
prehensile ; muzzle short, broad, and obtuse; eye lateral, the 
pupil elliptical and erect. Nostril pierced in a large nasal, which 
is deeply grooved behind ; rostral as high as broad, with a deep 
oblique pit on either side ; three pairs of frontals, the two anterior 
pairs the larger ; behind these there is a longitudinal series of 
three slightly enlarged scales, the last of which is in contact with 
a pair of small vertical shields, behind which and partially dividing 
them is a third shield of similar size which is absent in the larger 
example ; two pre- and three post-oculars ; five supraciliaries ; the 
rest of the upper surface and sides of the head covered with 
numerous irregularly-sized and -shaped scales, the largest being in 
a series of three on eacli side above the temporal region ; the 
smallest between these series ; twelve or thirteen upper labials, 
the anterior three pitted, the sixth and seventh entering the eye ; 
seventeen lower labials, the six preceding the last four deeply 
pitted, the first pair not forming a suture behind the quadrangular 
mental, the posterior margin of which is not more than one- 
seventh of the anterior ; numerous small elongate, non-imbricate 
scales between the mental and the first abdominal plate. Scales 
on the fore part of the body small and elongate, those on the 
hinder part and tail larger and rhomboidal ; the series bordering 
the abdominal plates larger. Rudiments of hind limb minute, 
scarcely distinguishable from the surrounding scales ; two series 
of scales between the vent and the first pair of subcaudal plates. 
Colors— Nasal shields, front part of anterior frontals, and rostral 
ridge violet ; inner margin of the two posterior pairs of frontals; 
a median band from thence broadening out behind so as to cover 
the three vertical shields ; three bands, the outer two originating 
at the antero-superior angle of the orbit, and joining the trans- 
verse occipital band, the middle one narrower and not extending 
so far back; a band from the nasal shield, through the eye, skirting 
the upper labials, and curving round behind the temporal region 
to meet the corresponding band on the occiput, rich purplish-brown; 
an elongate median and two shorter lateral spots of the same color 
on the neck ; second, third, fourth, and seventh upper, and the 
