PYTHON NATALENSIS.— Smith. 
Reptilia. — Plate IX. 
P capite supcrnfe macula olivaceo-brunnea sagittiformi notato j capitis lateribus subflavk linei longitndi- 
^ iLea macul&que „b»> k*. «.,o. n**, d™>. ol'.^-bn,^ 
(..*■,«. pallid, fluvo-bninneis variegatis « »»te ,a— u» 
imdatii eodem coloris; infra purpureo-album ; labn superior* ecutis qua uor, 
proximis scuto nasal!, emarginatis foraminibus formantibus, corporis squamis parvis 
obliquis collocatis. 
Longitodo corporis cum capite 10 ped. 11 unc. ; caudaa 16 unc. 
Pvttion Natalknsis. Smith. — South African Quarterly Journal, 
da n„i isan 
Colour, &c. Though the colours of this snake are distinctly marked, yet 
the mode in which they are distributed, will require to be apprehended more 
from the coloured figure, than the letter-press description. The principal 
tints with which it is marked, are three — dark olive brown, dull yellowish 
brown, and purplish white,— the two first colours are confined to the upper 
and lateral parts ; the last to the lower portions of the sides and belly. The 
dull yellowish brown, is perhaps the predominating colour on the first thiid ot 
the reptile ; and the olive brown by much the most abundant on the other 
two-thirds. On the top of the head, reaching from the nose to the occiput, is 
an arrow-shaped spot of the latter colour ; and from that spot, posteriorly, a 
band of the same hue extends along the back, gradually widening as it pro- 
ceeds, and having its edges on each side waved, or irregularly scolloped. On 
this band, reaching the commencement of the second third of the body, its 
width increases greatly ; and in this enlarged form, it extends to the tip ol 
the tail • its edges throughout much waved. The yellowish brown occurs in 
the form of irregular bars, or of waved blotches, or stripes on the first thirds 
of the back, and on the last two-thirds, in the shape of stripes or blotches in 
the olive-brown, excepting towards and on the tail, where it assumes the form 
of a waved, longitudinal band on each side. The sides of the head are yel- 
lowish-brown ; and each side is marked with a longitudinal olive-brown 
* Specimens of a much greater size are occasionally obtained. 
