Page:Australia, from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay.djvu/237

 of ten species that have been examined by naturalists, seven were ascertained to be highly venomous. The popular names of the most common varieties, are as follow.

The Diamond snake.—This snake is beautifully variegated by black and yellow lozenge-shaped marks, from whence it derives its name. It has a small neck, compared with the size of its head; and is rather slender in proportion to its length, which is about eight or ten feet, although it frequently attains the length of fourteen, and sometimes even sixteen feet. I have heard of instances of a greater size than this, but it was on the rather questionable authority of stockmen and sawyers; I have never seen a Diamond snake myself, longer than fourteen feet. It feeds on kangaroo-rats, bandicoots, young pademellas, and quails, and is said to be poisonous, which I am inclined to think is not the case.

The Carpet snake is so similar to the Diamond snake, that the only distinction between them, seems to be, that one has a white belly, and the other a yellow one. Whilst Mr. Montgomery Martin was in New South Wales, a native brought to him, at Paramatta, a snake belonging to one of these varieties, which was fourteen feet in length. Mr. Martin tried various poisons on it without effect, but large doses of calomel speedily destroyed life.

The Brown snake.—A very venomous species.

The Yellow snake.—This variety attains a large size, and its bite is mortal.