47, dirty reddish orange; head black
from the nose to neck; sides of the head white; tongue forked.

Doubtful if poisonous; little dreaded by the natives. Killed October
12th, 1845.

ELAPS. Native name NORN or NORNE. Whole body covered with spear shaped
scales; head shining black; the ground colours of the back rich umber,
almost black; scuta 161, of a dirty red orange; fangs two on each side of
the upper jaw near the lios, small, and bent inwards; tongue forked.

This is the most fatal of the New Holland snakes; the animal bitten
seldom recovers. The Aborigines have a great dread of this reptile; they
however eat of it if they kill it themselves, but there is a superstition
amongst them about snakes, which prevents their eating them if killed by
a European.

The specimen I figured was a small one, 3 ft. 9 in. long; they are often
seen by the natives much larger. I have endeavoured to represent it as it
generally sleeps or lies in wait for its prey, small birds, frogs,
lizards, etc. It delights in swamps and marshes.

Killed October, 1844.

FAM. BOIDAE

PYTHON. Native name WAKEL or WA-A-KEL. This snake is considered by the
natives a great delicacy, and by their account resembles mutton in
flavour, being also remarkably fat. I requested them to let me taste the
specimen from which the drawing was made; but they devoured every atom
themselves, pretending they did not understand me. The WAKEL differs from
the NORN in its habits; although both ascend trees in pursuit of small
birds and the young of the opossums. The WAKEL delights in rocky, dry
places, near salt water; they are very sluggish, and easily caught by the
women, who seize them behind the head and wring their necks. They are
described to have been seen 9 or 10 feet long. My specimen, a young male,
was exactly 5 feet long. The scales of this species are firmly fixed to
the skin, in plates all over the back and belly. The colour is beautiful,
dark greenish brown, finely variegated with yellowish white spots.

It was killed by Paddy, a native constable, near Albany, October, 1841.

* * * * *

FISHES.

GOBIIDAE.

No. 58.--PATOECUS FRONTO. Rich. Ann. Nat. Hist. Oct. 1844, vol. xiv.p.
280, Ichth. Ereb. and Terr. p. 20, pl. 13, f. 1, 2.

Native name KARRACK. Colour, a rich dragon's blood, or mahogany; found by
a Danish boatman, named Byornsan, 80 miles off the east coast from King
George's Sound, December 11th, 1841. Anal rays imperfectly c