66 AUSTRALIAN ZOOLOGY. 
habitat, it will perhaps be better to speak of them as two species. 
The general structure of the scales of the head and body is precisely 
alike in both reptiles, but they vary much in colouration.” The name 
carpet snake is, unfortunately, ascribed to the poisonous tiger or 
brown-banded snake in Tasmania; this produces some confusion, 
which can only be obviated by clearly understanding that the same 
name designates two kinds of snakes—a non-poisonous one on the 
mainland, but a death-dealing one on the island. 
Habits.—Like the family Pythonidw, or rock snakes, it is per- 
fectly harmless to human beings ; by this it is understood that its 
teeth, though capable of inflicting scratches and punctures, do not 
emit any poisonous fluid. It kills its prey by crushing it in its coils 
in the same manner as the American boa constrictor does ; and like 
this snake, it can hang by the short prehensile tail coiled round a 
branch with the two little leg-like spurs acting in opposition to 
effect a grasp or firm hold. It hibernates in holes in the ground. 
One cf the staff of the Melbourne museum relates that an elderly 
gentleman called, one day, at the office, and stated that he had 
discovered an antidote for the bite of the carpet snake. He had 
proved its efficacy often by applying it to dogs and goats which he 
had caused to be bitten by this reptile. They had recovered in 
every instance. He asked a sum of money for disclosing the ingredi- 
ents. To his mortal chagrin he was informed that the carpet snake 
is not poisonous. 
Sir George Grey writes in his Journal of Discovery in north- 
west Australia : ‘* The attention of Mr. Lushington was drawn to 2 
curious misshapen mass which came advancing from some bushes 
with a novel and uncouth motion—he fired, and it fell; on going up 
to it he found that it was a small kangaroo enveloped in the folds 
of a large snake, a species of boa. The kangaroo was not quite 
dead, although flattened from the pressure of the snake, which being 
surprised at the disturbance it met with, was beginning to uncoil 
itself, when Mr. Lushington drew out a pistol and shot it through 
the head. It was of a brownish colour, and eight feet six inches 
long.” 
Bier writes of a reptile which he calls the python: ‘‘ This 
snake is considered by the natives a great delicacy, and by their 
account resembles mutton in flavour, being also remarkably fat.” 
He requested the natives to let him taste the specimen from which 
his drawing was made, but they devoured every atom, pretending 
they did not understand him, 
Food.—The carpet snake feeds on small quadrupeds, birds and 
poultry when it can procure such. It catches birds at night and 
crushes them to death by winding itself round them. ‘They are 
thus flattened and then swallowed. It lies in wait near scrubs for 
the species of wallaby popularly known as ‘‘ pademelon,” which 
it crushes in its coils when captured, and swallows whole. In the 
Ballina district, one night, a large carpet snake was killed in a hen- 
roost, the noice of the fowls having aroused the owner. On the 
authority of Dr. Bennett, one that was shot had swallowed an 


