T jY T H O H H A T A jL E N S IS
PYTHON NATALENSIS.—S m it h .
R e p t il ia A ’- P l a t e IX.
P capite supemb macula olivaceo.brumiea sagittiformi potato; capitis lateribus subflavis, lineh longitudinal!
olivaceS. macul&que colons ejuedem infra oculos yariatis; dorso, latenbusque olivaceo-brunneis,
maculis striis, fasciis-que pallide flavo-bmnpeis variegatis ; et caud® latenbus fascia longitudma i
nudata eodem colons; infra purpnreo-aibum; labii superioris scutis quatuor, duabus utnnqne
proximis scuto nasali, emarginatis foraminibus formantibus, corporis -squamis parvis et in lines
obliquis collocatis.
LoNGiTUDO corporis cum capite 10 ped. II nnc.; caud® 16 unc* n „
Python Nataiensk; Smith.—South African Quarterly Journal, new series, p. W- Oct. 183d.
C o l o u r &c . Though the colours of this snake are distinctly marked, yet
the mode ’in which they are distributed, will require to be apprehended more
from the coloured figure, than the letter-press description. The principal
tints with which it is marked, are three—dark olive brown, dull yellowish
brown, and purplish white,—the two first colours are confined to the upper
and lateral parts ; the last to the lower portions of the sides and belly. The
dull yellowish brown, is perhaps the predominating colour on the first third of
the reptile; and the olive brown by much the most abundant on the other
two-thirds. On the top of the head, reaching from the nose to the occiput, is
an arrow-shaped spot of the latter colour ; and from that spot, posteriorly, a
band of the same hue extends along the back, gradually widening as it proceeds,
and having its edges on each side waved, or irregularly scolloped. On
this band, reaching the commencement of the second third of the body, its
width increases greatly ; and in this enlarged form, it extends to the tip of
the tail: its .edges throughout much waved. The yellowish brown occurs m
the form of irregular bars, or of waved blotches, or stripes on the first thirds
of the back, and on the last two-thirds, in the shape of stripes or blotches m
the olive-brown, excepting towards and on the tail, where it assumes the form
of a waved, longitudinal band on each side. The sides of the head are ye -
lowish-brown ; and each side is marked with a longitudinal olive-brown
* Specimens of a much greater size are occasionally obtained.