Although the natives assert, if a person is bitten by this make, and “gets down,” i.e. lays in bed three days, he will recover, yet I am very doubtful of this account, more particularly from the women differing from the men, as well as the whole subject being hidden in superstition.  Another ground of doubt rests upon the fact of having lost in Van Diemen’s Land, a favourite dog, by the bite of a snake very similar to this; the poor animal expired fourteen minutes after the bite, although the piece was almost instantaneously cut out.

The women of King George’s Sound declare the bite of the Torn-ock mortal; but the men laugh at that, and maintain the three days’ “couple,” (sleep) will restore the patients.

The specimen was 4 ft. 9 in. long, but they have been seen 6 or 7 feet long.  This is a favourite food of the natives of King George’s Sound.

COLUBER?  Native name BARDICK.  Dirty olive green over the whole back; belly dirty white; scuta 130.

The natives state that the bite produces great swelling of the part for a day or two, and goes off.

Never grows above 14 or 15 inches long.  Caught October 1841.

COLUBER.  Native name TORKITE or TORKYTE.  Back, from the point of the tail to the point of the nose, dark sepia brown; under the head yellow; and towards the middle of the belly orange; scales minute; scuta 140; tongue forked; teeth very minute; no fangs observable.  Caught August 30th, 1844.

Not at all dreaded by the natives; venomous, but not deadly, the bite merely producing a bad ulcer for a day or two.

ELAPS MELANOCEPHALUS.  Native name WERR.  Dirty olive green on the back, from the neck to the tail; scuta 147, 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