80 
AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 
Death Adder. Acantliopliis antarctica. 
(Plate X and plate XI, fig. 7.) 
Acantliopliis antarctica, Wagler, Syst 172, Gray, Zool., Miscand Cat. of Specimens of 
Snakes in Coll. Brit. Mus., p. 34. 
Scales in 21 rows. 
Abdominal plates, 130 or more. 
One anal plate. 
Subcandals, 18^ or more. 
Total length, 32 inches. 
Head, 2^ inches long, If inch broad. 
Tail, 4 inches. 
Girth round body, 9 inches. 
The measurements are from the largest specimen in the Museum 
collection. 
Body short, stout, and rounded, covered with scales of various 
shapes, those near the neck being lanceolate, and the upper nine or ten 
rows strongly keeled. About the middle of the body the keels disappear, 
or become very faint; in specimens not more than a year old, the keels can 
scarcely be traced. On the posterior half of the body the scales are larger 
rounded, and very thin. The head is broad, prominent above the eyes, 
and one-third of the occiput covered with regular shields, which are, how¬ 
ever, very rugged and indented, and, like the common "body scales, much 
imbricated. There is one anterior and two posterior oculars, and two or 
three smaller scales between the eye and the third and fourth upper labial; 
the whole labial series above numbers six plates, the last two being the 
largest, with a very large temporal shield between them; the lower labials 
are seven, sometimes eight. The eye is very small, the pupil elliptical and 
erect, the scale above it is very prominent, and the anterior ocular has a 
strong groove on its lower edge. The vertical and the superciliaries are 
about equal in size, the occipitals short and broad, with rugged irregular 
outer edges; nearly all the ordinary scales of the head are keeled. The 
Death Adder differs from the true Vipers in having permanently erect fangs, 
which are perforated, not grooved, and, in this respect, the reptile resembles 
the Viperine Snakes. The short tail is much compressed near the tip, and 
the last nine or ten series of scales surrounding it become, in old subjects, 
very rigid and hard; the last scale of all is generally curved, and resembles 
a poison fang, but in old age only this spine hardens; young and half- 
grown specimens have it more or less soft and pliable. This spine, which is 
so much dreaded by many persons, is neither a weapon of attack or defence. 
