Native name WILLIAM LUNGER. Tongue not forked, broad,
and rounded off at the point. Not poisonous or at all dreaded by the
natives; finely striped down the back, and spotted with deep brown equal
marks; has a lappel on each side of the vent.
Killed 10th of October, 1841.
FAM. COLUBRIDAE.
NAJA, - ? Native name TORN-OCK or TOOKYTE. Colour dirty olive over the
whole body; belly dirty olive; white, faintly dotted from the throat down
to the vent, with reddish dirty orange spots; the whole colour appears as
if faded; the scales are more closely united to the skin than those of
the NOON; fangs placed on each side of the upper jaw, short and rather
blunt; scuta, 223.
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.
