PYTHONS AND BOAS. 185 
rhomboidal, or X-shaped dark markings; while the head has a median black line, 
and the under-parts are yellowish, with small brown spots on the sides. It is, 
however, subject to considerable variation, a specimen from Siam in the London 
Zoological Gardens showing bright yellow lines on the sides. Young specimens 
show three longitudinal rows of light spots w T ith black edges along the back, 
Somewhat smaller is the African python (P. seboe), of tropical and South Africa, 
which attains a length of about 23 feet, and has from eighty-one to ninety-three 
scales in a row on the thickest part of the body, and only two of the labial shields 
AUSTRALIAN DIAMOND-SNAKE (§ nat. size). 
pitted. This species occurs typically in West Africa, from which region came the 
specimen represented in the illustration on p. 183 in the act of swallowing a bird; 
and it was long considered that the South African python or Natal rock-snake was 
a distinct species. Its colour is pale brown above, with dark brown, black-edged, 
and more or less wavy crossbars, usually connected by an interrupted or continuous 
dark stripe running along each side of the back; while the sides are marked with 
large black spots and small dots. On the top of the head is a large triangular dark 
brown blotch, which is bordered on each side by a light stripe commencing above the 
nostril at the end of the muzzle, and passing above the eye; and there is a dark 
stripe on each side of the head, and a somewhat triangular blotch beneath each eye. 
