North American Herpetology; or, A Description of the Reptiles Inhabiting the United States. Volume 4 - Edwards J.

Автор: Edwards J.

Теги: biology zoology animals reptiles animal kingdom

Год: 1842

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HARVARD UNIVERSITY

LIBRARY
MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY
BEQtJEST OF

SAMUEL GARMAN

DEC

2 7 1927

NOKTH AMERICAN

HERPETOLOGY;
OR,

A DESCRIPTION
OF THE

REPTILES INHABITING THE UNITED STATES.
BY JOHN EDWARDS HOLBROOK, M.

PROFESSOR OF ANATOMY IN THE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL
MEDICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUROH; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL
SOCIETY; OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA; OF THE
NEW YORK LYCEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, AND OF THE BOSTON
NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY.

Vol. IV,

PHILADELPHIA
J.

DOBSON,

106

CHESTNUT STREET.

LONDON: ROBERT BALDWIN, PATERNOSTER ROVf.— PARIS: HECTOR BOSSANGE,
NO. 11 QUAI WOW AIRV..— HAMBURG PERTHES, BESSER & MAUKE.
:

1842.
o

PRINTER,
LIBRARY STREET.

E. G. DORSEy,

CONTENTS

CONTENTS.

19.

Rana

.---.--------------

horiconensis,

20.

clamitans,

21.

fotitinalis,

22.

halecina,

23.

palustris,

24.

sylvaiica,

nigritus,

28. Hyla versicolor,
29.

viridis,

30.

sguirella,

31.

femoralis,

32.

Pickeri7igii,

35.

ocularis,

115

-127
-131

-129

-95

-123
-

-119

-87

-109
-

delitescens,

-107
-

-83

-103

34.

33. Hylodes gryllus,

27. Scaphiopiis soUtarius,

25. Cystignatlius ornafus,
26.

135

--137

PREFACE.
The

North American Herpetology

publication of the fourth volume of

another opportunity to thank those gentlemen

who have

aided

affords
in

the

prosecution of this work.

Dr. S.

Barker of South

Carolina, I

of the Serpents of the lower section of the

indebted for

state,

many

and especially

specimens

living

for a magnificent

specimen of the Pituophis melanoleucus, or Pine Snake.

Colonel James Ferguson has also procured

Water-snakes inhabiting Cooper

Dr.

Wurdeman

several fine specimens of the

river.

indebted for

many

Serpents found

among

the

moun-

tainous parts of our state, in the neighbourhood of Greenville.

Dr.

Edmund Ravenel has done much

furnished

remarks on

for

Ophidiology; he has not only

with a great number of Serpents, but has

made some

excellent

their habits.

our distinguished Icthyologist, D. Humphries Storer, M. D., of Boston, I

owe many thanks

for

his

aid

this

volume, and especially

Tropidonotus niger, or Water Adder, of Massachusetts.

for

a living

PREFACE.

yi
J.

Hamilton Couper,

Esq., of St. Simon's Island, Georgia, lias also furnished

with several Serpents of that state; and to him

Gopher Snake, perhaps the

largest

Troost of Nashvilk,

Professor

owe a knowledge of

the

and most beautiful of our Serpents.

'\
to ^hom

owe so much

other departments

'^-

of Herpetology, has sent

several Serpents,

and furnished we with a drawing

of his Trigonocephalus atrofuscus.

friend

furnished

Dr.

Dekav has

also procured

a good many Serpents, and

with some excellent remarks on their habits.

Professor Kirtland of Ohio, I give

thanks for a beautiful undescribed

Rattlesnake of the western country.

JOHN EDWARDS HOLBROOK.

Medical College, Charleston, South Carolina, 1S42.

I'lflKJIlhlK

IIM'I.IIKlll'III'lIN
/',%•

/hil/a/ /,t/h /

NORTH AMERICAN

HERP E T
P
Genus Pituophis.

O G Y.

T U O P H I S .—Holbrook.

—Characters.

Head

elongated, oval, four sided, with the

snout prolonged; frontal plates four, in a transverse row; rostral plate an isosceles
triangle, basis rounded and prolonged, its apex pointed and received between the
anterior frontal; loral plate single;

two anterior and three posterior

maxillary teeth large and numerous, arched backwards, nearly
size,

all

orbital plates;

of the same

rather smaller behind; body large, long, sub-cylindrical, scales carinated.

PITUOPHIS MELANOLEUCUS.— Dawrfm.
Plate

Head

shaped like an
isosceles triangle, prolonged and rounded anteriorly; body, above white, more or
less clear, and marked with sub-round black or dusky blotches, and covered with

Characters.

strongly carinated scales.

Stnonymes.

elongated,

PI.

216.

oval;

rostral

plate

Sc. 60.

Pine Snake or Bull Snake, Bartram, Travels

in Florida, &c., p. 276.

Coluber melanoleucus, Daudin, Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn. vi.
Coluber melanoleucus, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res., p. 122.

Pine Snake or Bull Snake, Vulgo.

large,

409.

PITUOPHIS MELANOLEUCUS.

The head

Description.

with the

rather oval, and small for the size of the animal,

snout elongated and projecting.

pentagonal, broad before, where

The

vertical plate

joined to four frontal,

very large,

narrow and pointed

passes slightly in between the occipital. The superior orbital
are broad, projecting over the eye, of the same length as the vertical, and of an
behind, where

irregular pentagonal form, larger behind
for the external frontal,

and the other;

and smaller

before, with

for the anterior orbital.

two

The

facets,

one

occipital are

and behind them are
polygonal, and most extensive in the transverse direction,
are four frontal plates, all elongated, quadrilateral,
placed several plates. There
a little larger anteriorly, and all nearly of the same breadth, but the two internal
are longest, the external descend between the anterior orbital and posterior nasal,
a small quadrilateral loral plate; the anterior frontal are trapezoid, and
to
join

two

number.

The

rostral plate

an isosceles

triangle, with its base in front

and its apex directed upwards and
greatly prolonged, rounded, hollow below,
backwards, separating the nasal, and deeply received between the anterior frontal
plates.

There are two nasal

plates, the anterior small, irregularly quadrilateral,

concave above and lunated behind; the posterior oblong, hexagonal, and concave
The anterior orbital plate is large, pentagonal, and
in front for the nostril.
slightly

concave behind, and with an acute angle above projecting between the

There are three small, quadrilateral, posterior
superior orbital and frontal plates.
orbital plates; the inferior wall of the orbit is completed by the fourth labial
plate,
is

of which there are eight on each

side; the anterior is triangular; the

second

pentagonal, and the remaining are quadrilateral.

The eyes

are of moderate

size,

but seem small on account of the projecting

superior orbital plate, with a dusky pupil and grey
the

The

nostrils are

near

and open outwards and backwards. The neck is
covered behind the occiput with small smooth scales; soon,

snout, large, lateral,

contracted, and

however, they become carinated, and increase in

size.

very long, though sufficiently robust to make it a strong snake;
covered above with large, hexagonal, strongly carinated scales on the

The body
and

iris.

back, and smooth, though

still

larger scales low

down on

the flanks; the belly

PITUOPHIS MELANOLEUCUS.
covered with very large and broad plates.

The

9
terminated by a horny

tail is

excrescence or point.

Colour.

The

head above are dusky in their centre, often tinged
plates of the

with olive, and are margined with dirty-white; the

dusky bar at the junction of each

lips

are white, with an olive or

is white.
plate; the throat

above are milky-white, more or less clouded, and marked
with a vertebral series of oblong black blotches; a second series of blotches of

The body and

and of equal length, but much more narrow,

similar colour
flanks; the

tail

placed on the

a regular series of sub-quadrate
pale cream-colour, with
each side near where the plates join with the scales; these

abdomen

black blotches on

blotches occupy portions of two abdominal plates, and are placed in general
of three plates; these blotches
opposite each other, and usually at intervals

become more

irregular at the

tail

finally

disappear altogether.

to vent, 6 feet 2 inches;

13 inches: total length, 7 feet 3 inches; greatest
They however reach a greater size: I have seen one 9

vent,

beyond

circumference, 6 inches.
feet in length.

and

Length of head, 2 inches; length of body

Dimensions.
length of

tail,

In the specimen here described there were 216 abdominal plates

and 60 sub-caudal

bifid plates.

forests along the sea
Pituophis mclanoleucus inhabits the pine
coast, but I believe is not found far in the interior of the Atlantic states, though

Habits.

The

have heard of

its

squirrels, birds, &:c.,

existence west of the Alleghanics.

and

Although a large animal,

much

difficulty,

is
it

timid and "inoflensive with respect to mankind."

moves with great

celerity,

and

''incuhation,''^

taken alive with

as they frequently have large holes in the earth, to which they

when danger is apprehended. Bartram says, in the season
makes "a terrible hiss, resembling distant thunder;" which I

precipitately retreat

feeds on rabbits,

have never heard, though
Vol. IV.— 2

well acquainted with the animal.

PITUOPHIS MELANOLEUCUS.

This serpent abounds in the pine forests of New
Jersey; though Daudin says Palhsot de Beauvais never saw it in Pennsylvania;
where it is, however, common enough. From Jersey, which seems to be its

Geographical Distribution.

northern hmit,

passes through Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and

Florida, always preferring the

common name
it

derived.

same pine

How

certainly has been observed in

General Remarks.

districts,

far south-west

some of

from which circumstance

may

the states

reach, I cannot say, but

beyond the Mississippi

river.

good deal of doubt has arisen as to the propriety of

continuing the specific

name melanoleucus of Daudin,

from Bartram, and

thought to be too short and imperfect to characterize

its

as his description

copied

any

animal with certainty; hence Cloquet and others have proposed to erase
altogether from our catalogue of reptiles; yet
investigation,

"Pme

Snake,''''

seems to

that, by proper
what animal Bartram applied the epithet
Bartram travelled in
and thus the name may be retained.

can be made clear

—"perhaps

Carolina and Florida, where he saw a large snake

—"pied

North America,"
Snake;"

all this

and with no

It is

called

agrees perfectly well with the animal

perhaps the largest snake

when

known

"Pine Snake or Bull

now under

consideration,

to inhabit the United States.

the skin has been lately shed,

The common name

found.

—and

black and white,"

the largest in

other.

2. Its colour,

Pine Snake

still

"pied black and white."

applied to this serpent wherever

it is

l's:iino|iliis
SV.rn. pinx'

ri.i-cllifnrmi,-

P&:lhiva/

PSAMMOPHIS .—Bole.
Genus Psammophis.

—Characters.

Head much

elongated,

sub-oval;

snout

and large; superior orbital greatly
prominent, but rounded; loral plate single, long,
orbital
two; anterior, one; nostrils lateral, near the
plates,

projecting; posterior

snout; eyes very large;

body

long, slender; tail very long.

PSAMMOPHIS FLAGELLIFORMIS.— Ca/es%.
Plate

Characters.

Head

II.

elongated; superior-orbital plate projecting over the eye;

body very long and slender; the anterior part shining black, both above and below;
the middle mixed brown and white; the posterior part and tail whitish or tawnycolour.

Tail one-fourth of total length.
a

Synonymes. Anguis

PL 203.

Sc. 109.

Coach-whip Snake, Catesby, Carolina, &c., vol.
Coach-whip Snake, Bartram, Travels in Carolina and Florida, &c., p. 219.
Coluber flagellum, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. iii. p. 475.
flagelliformis,

ii.

tab. 54.

Coach-whip Snake, Vulgo.

Description.
vertical plate is

The head

elongated and narrow, the upper jaw projecting; the
pentagonal, larger in front, long and narrow, presenting an acute
is

angle backwards; the occipital plates are triangular, large, covering nearly the
whole of the posterior part of the head; the superior-orbital are large, somewhat
quadrilateral,

and projecting greatly over the eye; the posterior

orbital are

two

PSAMMOPHIS FLAGELLIFORMIS.

number, the superior one extending upwards on the supra-orbital projection; and
immediately behind these are several scales, taking the place of a temporal plate;
the anterior orbital are two in number, the lower very small, the upper also small

and expanding on the supra-orbital projection; the

loral is short

frontal plates are quadrilateral; the nasal nearly of the

plate

The

and wide; the

same form;

the rostral

very small, triangular, and rounded in front.

of two plates, and very
near the snout; the eyes are very large, but appear sunken in consequence of the
projection of the superior-orbital plate; the pupil is black, the iris dark grey.
nostrils are lateral, large, placed at the junction

The neck

chord, which

small, the

body very long; the

tail is

long, attenuated like a whip-

further resembles in the braided appearance produced

by the large
of a carina, and in

dusky margins. The scales are all destitute
general have two points at the apex; those on the upper part of the neck are
quite small; on the fore part of the body they are rhomboidal, narrow, and
elongated, and on the tail and lower part of the body they are short, broad and
scales and their

sub-rhomboidal.

Colour.

The

superior surface of the head and neck, and nearly one-third of

glossy raven-black, gradually becoming paler on approaching the

the body,

which

of a very light brown

or tawny-colour;

rendered conspicuous by their dark margins.
anterior part of the

abdomen

The

the

scales

on the

inferior surface of the

bluish slate-colour;

tail

tail,

are

neck and

the posterior part white,

clouded with brown; some parts of the abdomen are white and shining, as well as
the inferior surface of the tail.
This snake varies however in colour, or rather in
shade; Bartram has seen them of a cream-colour, clay-coloured, and sometimes

almost white, but always raven-black near the head.

inches; of the head
Length of the head, to the small scales,
and body, 45 inches; of the tail, 16 inches: circumference, 2j inches: total length,
5 feet 1 inch. Abdominal plates in the specimen figured, 203, and 109 pairs of

Dimensions.

PSAMMOPHIS FLAGELLIFORMIS.
This

sub-caudal scales.

the measurement of the specimen from which the

accompanying plate was taken;

said they sometimes reach the length of seven

it is

feet.

Habits.

This beautiful animal

"seeming almost to

fly

when

It is inoffensive in its

attacked, by twining

tram gives the following account of
in the

remarkable for the swiftness of

over the surface of the ground."*

but only destroys for food.
great dexterity

middle of the road;

it:

its

It feeds

its

motions,

on young

birds,

manners, but defends itself with

long body round the enemy.

Bar-

—"I observed a large hawk

when coming up near him,

on the ground
found him bomid up by a

very long Coach-whip Snake, that had wreathed itself several times round the
hawk's body, who had but one of his wings at liberty. Beholding their struggles
awhile, I alighted off my horse with the intention of parting them; when, on

coming

agreed to

up, they mutually

probably considering

as their

separate, each

seeking his

own

safety,

common enemy."

Geographical Distribution. The Coach-whip Snake is found in South Carolina,
Georgia, and Florida, but is rare. During a seven years' search I have never
seen but one living specimen, which was sent

me by

Dr. Hay, of Barnwell

district,

South Carolina.

General Remarks.

all

Snake (Coluber constrictor)

the species found east of the Mississippi, the Black
the only one hitherto

known

that can be

with the Coach-whip, in the scales, the disposition of the plates

compared
on the head, and

in its general form.

There

this snake.

great confusion in the works of European naturalists with regard to

Catesby

first

made

and gave an excellent figure of
*

it
it

known under

—one

the

name "Coach-whip Snake,"

of the best in his work; yet

Bartram, Travels in Carolina, &c.,

219.

has been

PSAMMOPHIS FLAGELLIFORMIS.

confounded with the Chicken Snake, the Black Snake, the Green Snake, and by
some herpetologists has been overlooked altogether.

some

Linnaeus describes a Coluber filiformis,* which
as our Coach-whip Snake, but

its

plates,

nor

in its

agrees with

naturalists

have considered

neither in colour, the

number

geographical distribution.

Laurenti next gave a Natrix flagelliformis;t this cannot be the
Coach-whip
Snake, for he refers to tab. 47 of Catesby, which is the Bluish-green Snake,
(Dryinus mycterizans,) and is not an inhabitant of the United States.

Daudin, under his Coluber flagelliformis,J adds still more to the confusion; for
he refers to the mycterizans, and to tab. 57 of Catesby, which is the Green

—

Snake, that he says is "called by the Anglo-Americans Coach-whip Snake;" his
description, then, of the Coach-whip is taken from the Green Snake
During all
this time the plate and
description of Catesby were overlooked, till Shaw called
!

the attention of naturalists to

Merrem§

them

gives a Coluber flagelliformis, but refers to the filiformis of Linnseus

and the Natrix

filiformis

of Laurenti as

reference to Catesby's animal, but

Even

General Zoology.

in his

it is

synonymes; here we find a second

given doubtingly.

that excellent ophidiologist Schlegel has fallen into a similar error with

respect to the

common name

by supposing it applicable to the animal
which is the Bluish-green Snake, and he

flagelliformis,

represented in Catesby's 47th

table,||

Coach-whip Snake of Catesby what he (Catesby) says of the Bluishgreen Snake: "Ce voyageur dit que le Coach-whip Snake est aussi agile qu'innocent, qu'il habite les arbres et qu'il vit d'insectes," &c.
applies to the

—

Syst. Nat., vol.

383.

J Hist. Nat. des Rept., vol.
II

Synop. Kept, p. 79.
§ Versuch eines Syst. der Amphib.,
t

vi. p.

380.

Dryophis Catesbyi, Schlegel, Ph3^s. des Serp., torn.

ii.

253.

p. 116.

PSAMMOPHIS FLAGELLIFORMIS.

Foreign naturalists have all been deceived in supposing the application of
the term of Coach-Avhip Snake to be much more extended than it really is.

Thus Schlegel says

that

slender snakes, which

applied, without distinction, to several long

certainly not the case, for

among our common names of serpents,
been in common and universal use since

no term

not even the

and

restricted

Black Snake, and has

the time of Catesby.

It is

not called

Coach-whip Snake from the extreme tenuity of its body, but from the form of the
tail, and the manner in which the scales upon it are arranged; these are very
large, rhomboidal, slightly imbricated, so as to appear only juxta-posed, which
give

name

precisely the appearance of a whip-cord,

and from

this is

the

common

derived.

have other serpents equally attenuated as the Black Snake, but that
called a Racer, or the Leptophis sestivus, and that is called Green Snake.

Coluber flagelliformis has not been described, or even
referred to properly, by any systematic writer on natural history, except Shaw;
and even his name must yield in priority to that of Catesby.
It seems, then, that the

Ijpptophis wstivus.
./.

II.Kirhar.i <UI

/•f.Diiini. Lilk r/n/"'

LEPTOPHIS.—5e//.
Genus Leptophis.

—Characters.

Head much

elongated, sub-oval, narrow,
covered with plates, as in Coluber; loral plate single; one anterior orbital and

two posterior

orbital plates;

hexagonal carinated scales;

Remarks.

tail

tail,

its

slender,

covered with sub-

very long.

The genus Leptophis was very

that of Coluber, because of

slenderness of

body long and very

properly separated by Mr. Bell from

extremely long and attenuated body, length and

breadth of abdominal plates, &c. &c.

LEPTOPHIS JESTIWJS.—Lhm^us.

Plate III.

Head

Characters.
plates;

body and

both very long, slender, above green, below yellowish-white;
PI. 160.
Sc. 140.

Green-snake, Cateshy, Carolina, &c., vol.

Coluber

sestivus, Linnseics, Syst.

Coluber

aestivus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. Lin., vol.

Nat,

vol.

verdatre, Lacepide, Hist, des Serp., torn.

ii.

p. 57, pi. Ivii.

387.
i.

pars

iii.

ajstivus, Latreille, Hist, des Rept., torn. iv. p. 140.

Coluber

ffistivus,

Daudin,

sestivus,

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

Green-snake, Vulgo.

Vol.

IV.— 3

1114.

p. 313.

Coluber

and covered with

tail

scales carinated.

SrNONTMES.

long, narrow, sub-oval, pointed in front,

Hist. Nat. des. Rept., torn. vii. p. 101.

Res., p. 121.

LEPTOPHIS iESTIVUS.

18
Description.
front,

The head

and covered with

much

elongated, oval, narrow, and rather pointed in

which the

plates, of

broadest in front and pointed behind.

and projects

slightly over the eye.

irregularly pentagonal.

where they descend

The

vertical

elongated, pentagonal,

The superior orbital is
The occipital plates

frontal plates are pentagonal,

oblong, quadrilateral,

are very large and

and narrow externally,

to join a small, quadrilateral, loral

The

plate.

and external angles prolonged. The
semicircular, concave below and convex above. The nasal plate is

frontal are quadrilateral, with their posterior
rostral plate is

single
nostril.

on each

There

side, regularly quadrilateral,
is

one anterior

and perforated

in the centre for the

orbital plate, large, quadrilateral,

concave behind,

and two smaller posterior orbital plates.
The inferior margin of the orbit is
completed by the third and fourth labial plates, which are six in number; the last
is a parallelogram, and very large.

The

and placed laterally. The eyes are large; the pupil
The body is greatly elonblack, the iris golden. The neck is much contracted.
and
covered
carinated
scales
above
and
on
with
the sides; the two or
gated,
nostrils are large,

three inferior rows only are smooth.

The

tail

very long, cylindrical, and

pointed at the tip.

Colour.

The

colour of the whole animal above

bright, according to the

golden-green, more or less

age of the animal or season of the year; below

it is

milky-white.

Dimensions.

Length of head,

lines; greatest

breadth of head, 4

lines;

length

of body, 22 inches; length of

In
tail, 12 inches; circumference of body, 1 inch.
the individual here described there were 160 abdominal plates and 140 sub-caudal
bifid plates.

Habits.

This beautiful snake

cated, and takes readily

its

pocket, or twisted round the

perfectly harmless and gentle, easily domesti-

food from the hand.

arm or neck

have seen

carried in the

as a plaything, without ever evincing

LEPTOPHIS .ESTIVUS.

any disposition to mischief. In its wild state it lives among the branches of trees
and shrubs, shooting with great velocity from bough to bough, in pursuit of the
insects which serve as its nourishment.

among which

it lives,

aflbrd

Its

green colour, similar to the leaves

protection against those birds which prey upon

Geographical Distribution.

This animal abounds

Carolina,

whence

it.

extends through the southern and south-western states to Texas; how much further
south or west it may be found, cannot at this time be said. The northern limit

of the Coluber testivus

also uncertain; Professor

Geddings has seen

Baltimore, and Dr. Pickering has "been credibly informed of

its

near

existence not far

probably does not reach, its place
farther north being supplied by the Coluber vernalis of Dekay, an animal to which

from Philadelphia."

bears

Beyond

this latitude

much resemblance.

General Remarks.
to naturahsts

There

no doubt that

by Catesby, who called

very accurately.

the

this

animal was

first

made known

Green Snake, and described

Linnaeus, however, gave the

first scientific

a specimen sent him by Dr. Garden, and called
it has since been
generally known.

Coluber

its

description of

oestivus,

habits

it,

from

by which name

Leptophis
'

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ale/

saunluN.
j\( ^>ura^./.u/l //la'

LEPTOPHIS SAVRITVS.—Linn^us.

Plale IV.

Head

Characters.

oval,

much

snout prolonged, though rather

elongated;

rounded at the apex; body very long, slender; tail very long, thin, pointed at the
tip; colour, above dusky brown, trilineate, vertebral line pale yellow, often tinged
with green; lateral lines clouded yellowish-white; abdomen pale yellow, tinged
with green, immaculate. PI. 165-167. Sc. 117-121.

Synontmes.

Riband Snake, Catesby,

Carol., &c., vol.

Coluber

saurita, Linnseiis, Syst. Nat., torn.

Coluber

saurita,

saurite,

Gmelin, Syst. Nat.

LacepMe,

ii.

p. 50, pi. 1.

p. 385.

Lin., torn.

Hist. Nat. des Serp., torn.

pars
ii.

iii.

1109.

308.

Coluber

saurita, Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rept., torn. iv. p. 178.

Coluber

saurita,

Daudin,

Coluber

saurita,

Shaw, Gen.

Natrix

saurita,

Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn.

Zool., vol.

Merrem, Versuch

iii.

part

ii.

eines Syst. der

vii. p.

104,

Amph.,

saurita,

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

Coluber proximus, Harlan,

Riband Snake

Description.

at the south.

The head

SI,

fig.

122.

Coluber proximus, Say, Long's Exped. to Rock. Mount., vol.
Coluber saurita, Fitzingei', Neue Class der Rept., p. 53.
Coluber

pi.

p. 532.

p. 187.

Res., p. 115.

loc. cit, p. 116.

Swift Garter Snake at the north, Vulgo.

ovoid, very long, and rather large in proportion to

somewhat prolonged, though rounded at its apex. The
elongated, and hexagonal; the superior orbital are of equal

the body, with the snout
vertical plate is large,

length with the vertical, quadrilateral, narrow, broader behind, and projecting

over the eye.

The

occipital

are irregularly triangular, with

all

their

angles

LEPTOPHIS SAURITUS.

rounded, and are broadest before.

The

frontal plates are broad

and pentagonal,

broadest within, narrow without, where they descend to a small, quadrilateral,
loral plate; the anterior frontal are irregularly quadrilateral, narrow in front, with

and external angles pointed and prolonged. The rostral plate
rather small and pentagonal; there are two nasal plates, the anterior of which
their posterior

small and regularly quadrilateral;

the posterior

pentagonal, and hollowed before for the nostril.

also

The

is
is

and irregularly

small,

anterior orbital plate

very long, pentagonal, slightly curved behind, and ascending to the plane
of the forehead; there are three small posterior orbital; and the inferior wall of
single,

the orbit

completed by the fourth and

there are seven,
the

third,

all

large: the

and

fourth

fifth

the

pentagonal;

pentagonal; the

fifth

superior labial, of which plates

second quadrilateral;

and the

sixth again quadrilateral;

seventh triangular.

The

open obliquely upwards. The eyes
are of moderate size; the pupil is dusky, with the iris yellowish-grey and brilliant.
The neck is contracted, much smaller than the head, and covered with small,
nostrils are near the snout, lateral, but

hexagonal, carinated scales.

The body

very long, slender, and covered above with scales of similar form
to those of the neck, but larger, all carinated, notched behind, and with plates
below.

The

tail is

very long, thin, and terminates in a point.

The head above

Colour.

greenish-yellow tinge,
is

occipital plate

constant:

marked

the

olive-brown;

labial

at their place of union with a
spot;

this

mark

plates

dusky
is,

have a
each

line;

however, not

wanting in the southern animal, but it is not
the northern, and in some rare examples it is double: the

large anterior orbital plate

gives a peculiar

light

marked with a small yellow

have never seen

always found

olive in front, but its posterior half is yellow,

physiognomy

The body above

dusky

which

to the serpent.

seen at a distance, but

examined closely and

LEPTOPHIS SAURITUS.

certain light appears to be brown, often tinged with olive, and marked with three
between the occipital plates, is of pale
longitudinal lines. The vertebral one begins
an inch or two from the tail; this hne
greenish-yellow, and becomes obsolete
the vertebral scale, and the half of one scale on each side, and has a

occupies

border throughout

straio-ht

more or

its

The

Avhoie extent.

two

lateral lines or

bands are

scales or more, with

margins less
reo-ular; they are of dirty yellowish-white, tinged with greenj on each side of
these lines are dusky or black small rhomboidal spots, sometimes arranged in a

broader,

less distinct, including

The abdomen

row.

shining milky white, with a tinge of green.

The

tail is

coloured like the body, but the lateral lines only continue for a short distance

behind the vent.

Length of head 10 lines; length of body, 23 inches; length of tail,
12 inches: total length, 35 inches 10 lines. This animal at times reaches the
Ddiensions,

however, they are found between two and
three feet long. In the specimen here described, there were 165 abdominal plates,
and 117 sub-caudal scales; but this number is by no means constant, as I have

length of nearly four

feet;

in general,

seen by comparing several animals

Museum

of the

—among

Academy of Natural

others the following,

now

the

Sciences at Philadelphia:

specimen from Missouri, given by Mr. Eckhart: abominal plates, 156;
2. One from Pennsylvania, by Dr. Allison: abdominal
sub-caudal scales, 121.
1.

—

One from Delaware, by Dr. Green:
abdominal plates, 156; sub-caudal scales, 93; tail imperfect. 4. One from Key
West: abdominal plates, 160; sub-caudal scales, 125. 5. One from South
plates,

150;

sub-caudal scales,

112.

—

Carolina: abdominal plates, 147; sub-caudal scales, 117.

Geographical Distribution.

The Leptophis

sauritus has a widge range.

from Maine to Georgia; and have received
specimens from Louisiana, Arkansas and the far west; and, if I am correct in
supposing this animal identical with the Coluber proximus of Say, which I doubt
It only diflers
not, then does it reach the very foot of the Rocky Mountains.

have seen

most of the

states

LEPTOPHIS SAURITUS.

from our animal, according to Say, "in the numerical proportion that
caudal scales bear to its abdominal plates;" which is not sufficient of

its

sub-

itself to

distinguish animals so closely allied.

The

General Remarks.

first

History of Carolina, &c.; where

Riband Snake; which
people.

figured

may be

the specific

seen in Catesby's

and described under the name of

bears to the present time with us

Linnaeus received

applied to

account of this serpent

among

all

classes of

Systema Natura?, and
which has been universally adopted by

into the twelfth edition of the

name

saurita,

naturalists; nor can there be a doubt of his meaning, for his only references are
to Catesby and to Dr. Garden: although the number of sub-caudal scales he gives

does not agree with

observations, yet this might have been the result of

accident in the specimen that he examined.

'rr(»|)ifl<m<»lH8
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TROPIDONOTUS .—KiM.
Genus Tropidonotus.
two nasal

plates;

—Characters.

Head

oblong-ovate, depressed, distinct;

orbital
eyes moderate, pupil round; loral plate single; anterior

the same; scales sub-hexagonal, elongated, and strongly carinated.

Remarks.
country.

—The genus Tropidonotus includes a great many

Those with us resemble each other so

species,

even in

this

nearly, except in colour, that they

These are
might be described as almost simple varieties of the same animal.
In
scales.
mostly water-sAakes, and are remarkable for their strongly carinated
genus again is seen that peculiar arrangement of the
the animal can flatten itself during life.

this

ribs,

by means of which

TROPIDONOTUS FASCIATUS.—L««?ja;Ms.
Plate V.

Head

Characters.
at the snout;

broader behind,
large, sub-oval, elongated, flattened,

body elongated,

thick,

covered with carinated scales, dusky, with

about thirty oblong or triangular marks of red on the flanks.
SrNONYMES.

Coluber

fasciatus,

Linnseus, Syst. Nat., vol.

Coluber porcatus, Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rept,

torn. vii. p.

Coluber porcatus, Bosc, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat.,
Coluber porcatus, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res.,

IV.— 4

378.

torn. iv. p. 82, pi. xxix. fig. 1.

Coluber porcatus, Daudin, Hist. Nat. des Rept.,

Vol.

rounded

204.

torn. viii. p.
p. 119.

264.

TROPIDONOTUS FASCIATUS.

The head

and much elongated, broader behmd, and
rounded at the snout; its superior surface is covered with plates. Of these, the
vertical is pentagonal, largest in front, and pointed posteriorly; the superior
Description.

orbital are elongated

flattened

and quadrilateral, with

their outer

margins prominent; the

The

occipital are very large, irregularly oblong, broadest internally.

frontal plates

are pentagonal, smallest without, where they join a single quadrilateral loral plate;
the anterior frontal are smaller, trigonal, with their apices directed forwards, and

The

truncate.

rostral is semicircular,

nasal plates are quadrilateral;

concave

There

in front.

concave below, convex above.

The two

the anterior concave behind, and the posterior

but one anterior orbital plate, which

quadrilateral, and reaches from the frontal to the

posterior orbital plates; the superior

the largest.

very large,

There are two

labial line.

There are eight

labial plates,

increasing in size to the sixth, and then diminishing.

The

nostrils are lateral, large,

The

and near the snout.

bright, the pupil black, the iris grey, with a tinge of red.

than the head, and covered with carinated scales.

and covered with very strongly carinated
exceedingly rough appearance;
extremity.

Colour.
white,

The

tail is

The head

all

the

scales

are

eyes are large and
The neck is smaller

The body
above,

long, but thick,

which give

notched at their posterior

moderate and thick, and rather triangular.

dark brown, with the superior

marked with darker

labial plates dirty reddish-

lines that distinguish the junction

of the plates.

The

body above is very dark brown, with irregular oblong or triangular purplish-red
spots on the flanks, which are insensibly lost about midway between the abdomen
and vertebral

line.

adult, as well as

These, however, are more extensive

much

in the

young than

In old animals they become nearly obsolete, so

brighter.

that the whole superior and lateral

surface becomes of a brownish colour;

then requires washing to bring out the red spots; and even this
unless the animal has recently shed its skin.

Ddiensions.

Length of head,

in the

may

not succeed,

inch 6 lines; greatest breadth of head, 11 lines;

TROPIDONOTUS FASCIATUS.
length of body, 20 inches; length of

tail,

8 inches; cirumfcrence of body, 5 inches.

In the specimen described there were 140 abdominal plates, and 42 pair of sub-

caudal scales.

Habits.

The Tropidonotus

fasciatus lives

most of

its

time

water, or about

the banks of ponds and rivers, preying on frogs and other smaller reptiles that
frequent the

same

localities.

swims with great

rapidity,

and hundreds at a time

be seen darting through the water in all directions, constantly protruding
It is a bold animal, even in
their tongues, as if to feel the objects before them.

may

confinement, and
readily devour

its

one of the very few snakes that will, in such a situation,
In summer it rests on the lower branches of such trees
prey.
is

as overhang the water, like the Trigonocephalus piscivorus.

would assigu, for the present. North Carolina
the northern limit of the Tropidonotus fasciatus; beyond

GEOGRApmcAL DISTRIBUTION.
or southern Virginia for

by the Tropidonotus sipedon. How far south and west
it may reach cannot be stated with certainty; I have received it from Louisiana,
and all the intermediate states.

that

its

place

supplied

General Remarks.

There

is,

opinion,

no doubt that

this is

the animal

by him described as the Coluber fasciatus,
as the general colouring, the particular marks, its habitat, and the carinated scales,
all
go to prove. Linnaeus himself seems to have hesitated to which of Catesby's
animals he should refer the one sent by Dr. Garden, for he quotes the Wampumsent by Dr.

Garden

to Linnoeus, and

snake with doubt, which

which

cannot be, as in this the scales are carinated, and

probably the Coluber abacurus, they arc smooth;
reference he has been almost universally followed by naturalists.
that,

belief

is,

that he should have referred

to the

Catesby's Carolina, &c., vol.

ii.

pi.

this

Brown Viper of Catesby,*

which was probably drawn from a specimen imperfectly coloured;
*

yet in

xlv.

for not unfre-

TROPIDONOTUS FASCIATUS.

quently the old Tropidonotus fasciatus, before

has shed

its

skin, resembles

nearly Catesby's plate, with the exception of the fangs.

Another reason

for believing that the animals are identical, is that after twelve

years' search, both in Carolina and in Virginia, where he represents the

Brown

Viper as abounding, under the name Truncheon Snake, I have never seen any
animal bearing the least resemblance to Catesby's figure, except the Tropidonotus
fasciatus;

years
is

and

in the

friend Professor Geddings,

lower

districts

who, during a residence of some

of Carolina, where he observed these animals closely,

of the same opinion.

The

fangs

of Catesby's figure,

and the

venomous as any" of his
same thing and figured similar

"bite

must go for nothing; for he saw the
fangs for the Black Viper, where they never exist, and which is now known to be
a harmless animal. If this opinion be correct, and the animals are identical, and
description,

of that I have
serpents,

and

little

its

Coluber tisiphone,

doubt, then the

Brown Viper must be

stricken from the

synonymes transferred to the Tropidonotus
Scytalus tisiphonc, &c. &c.

list

fasciatus, as the

^iiii^i

TidinMoiiolns
/•Aofiir /[oy.i"

/V D/n'UC*

>si|if'(l(>ii
/.r !i,„,,i.s«/,.f'."'u.U

TROPIDOXOTUS SIFEDO^ .—Lhmaus.
Plate VI.

Characters.

Head

large,

sub-oval, flattened

above;

snout rounded;

body

blotches on the flanks,
dusky above, with a row of sub-quadrate reddish-brown
connected by a transverse dirty white bar, margined with black. PI, 145. Sc. 67.

Coluber sipedon, Linnseits, Syst. Nat.,

Synonyjies.

des Serp., torn.
sipede, Lac6j)Me, Hist. Nat.

Coluber sipedon, Gmelin,

Sj^st.

ii.

Nat. Linn., torn.

Coluber sipedon, Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rapt,

torn.

p. 379.

p. 305.
i.

pars

iii.

1098.

torn. iv. p. 177.

Coluber sipedon, Daudin, Hist. Nat. des Rept, torn. vii. p. 14S.
Coluber sipedon, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. iii. part ii. p. 496.
Natrix sipedon, Merrem, Versuch eines Syst. der Amphib.,
Coluber sipedon, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res., p. 114.

Coluber cauda scbistosus, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res.,

124.

p. 124.

Water Snake, Vulgo.

Description.

The head

with
large, sub-oval, flattened above,

the snout

rounded; the vertical plate is pentagonal, broad, and nearly of the same size
throughout, only a little smaller behind; the superior orbital are elongated, narrow,
over the eye; the occipital plates are
broadest behind, and
project

quadrilateral,

very large, oblong, and broadest before; the frontal are sub-pentagonal and large,
smaller where they descend to a single large rhomboidal, loral plate; the anterior

and of sub-trapezoidal form; the rostral plate is hexagonal,
short, small, truncated in front, rounded above and concave below; there are two
crescentic
quadrilateral nasal plates, the anterior lunated behind, and the posterior
frontal are smaller,

front,

form the

nostril;

the

anterior orbital plate

single,

irregularly

TROPIDONOTUS SIPEDON.

pentagonal, elongated, most extensive vertically, passing in between the frontal

and superior

does not completely separate them; there are three
sub-round posterior orbital, behind which are two oblong, large temporal; the
inferior wall of the orbit is completed by the fourth and fifth labial, of which
orbital,

though

plates there are eight

The

on each

nostrils are lateral

side, all

more or

less regularly quadrilateral.

and near the snout.

The neck

pupil black, with the iris grey.

The

eyes are rather large, the
contracted, and covered with small,

sub-hexagonal, strongly carinated scales.

The body is long but robust, and covered with scales similar to those of the
neck, but much larger, and slightly notched posteriorly, and with broad plates
below. The tail is large and triangular in form, broader below and narrower
above.

Colour.

The head

dusky above; the jaws are olive, tinged with yellow,
and varied with dusky at the junction of the labial plates; the lower jaw is of
The body above is dark brown, and on each flank is a series of
lighter colour.
is

large sub-quadrate, reddish-brown spots, extending to the abdominal plates; from

the superior margin of these blotches runs a light coloured transverse band to

connect them with the spots of the opposite side; these bands are margined with
black both before and behind; in the young snake the bands are very beautiful,
but in the adult they become more or less indistinct, but can always be seen in
the middle

when

the serpent has lately cast

the ground colour of the belly
diflerent plates being

most so near the

tail,

its

skin.

The

throat

dirty white;

dirty white, often with a reddish-brown tinge, the

marked with small waving lines, clouded with dusky, and
where the markings both above and below arc finally lost.

Length of head, li inches; length of body, 28 inches; length of
tail, 8 inches: total length, 37j inches.
They are not unfrequently seen of
In the specimen here described there were 145 abdominal
greater dimensions.
Dimensions.

plates,

and 67 sub-caudal

bifid plates.

TROPIDONOTUS SIPEDON.
Habits.

The Tropidonotus
habits, of

sipedon

which indeed

not unlike the Tropidonotus fasciatus of

seems the northern representative; it
feeds on frogs, toads, fish, &c.; is commonly found in damp places in or near water,
and is often seen resting on the low branches of trees that overhans the water.
the south in

its

GEOGRApracAL DISTRIBUTION.

This scrpent

moving waters of the northern or middle states;
border from

New

Hampshire

General Remarks.

common
I

in the stagnant or

slow

have seen them on the Atlantic

Delaware.

have often doubted whether

this

serpent were

the

Coluber sipedon of Kalm; for his description is so short and imperfect as to
characterize no one animal with certainty; and besides, imperfect as it is, it by

no means applies

now under consideration, as may be
above. The only way in which we can

in general to the serpent

seen by a reference to the colours

reconcile Kalm's description with the animal,

to suppose that he observed such

snakes as had the transverse bars indistinctly marked, wliich not unfrequently
happens in old animals; but then these bars may even then be seen if the skin be
carefully

washed.

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TROPIDOXOTUS ERYTHROGASTER.— SAaw).
Plate VII.

Characters.
whole superior
sides;

Head

elongated; body long, covered with carinated scales above;
surface of animal brick-dust colour, with a tinge of green at the

abdomen and

tail

uniform copper colour.

PI.

Coluber erythrogaster, Shaio, Gen. Zool.,

Synonvmes.

Copperbellied-snake, Catesby, Carolina, &c., vol.

ii.

147.

vol.

iii.

Sc. 60.

45S.

p. 46.

Copperbelly, Vulgo.

Description.

The head

and covered with large
in front; the

plates.

large, but elongated

The

and rather pointed at the snout,

vertical plate is regularly pentagonal, broadest

superior orbital are quadi-ilateral, elongated, narrow.

The

occipital

The frontal plates are quadriare irregularly pentagonal, broadest anteriorly.
lateral and large; the anterior frontal are of similar shape, but small. The rostral
is

large and semicircular, concave below, conve.x above.

There are two nasal

and nearly of the same size; the anterior is concave posteand the posterior lunated in front. There is but one anterior orbital plate,

plates, quadrilateral,
riorly,

and nearly quadrilateral. The inferior wall of the
orbit is completed by the fourth and fifth labial plates, which are eight in number,
quadrilateral, and largest posteriorly.
and two

posterior, smaller,

and very near the snout. The eyes are large and
The neck is contracted;
bright; the pupil dark, the iris grey, with a tinge of red.
the body very stout, and covered with strongly carinated scales, notched on their

The

nostrils are lateral,

Vol.

IV.— 5

TROPIDONOTUS ERYTHROGASTER.

34
posterior part.

The

tail

point; covered with carinated scales above,

Colour.
is

The whole

and terminates

long, compressed, triangular,

and

bifid plates

below.

superior surface of the animal, body, head, neck, and

tail,

brownish-red, or brick-dust colour; the sides are tinged with green near the

abdomen; the whole

inferior surface is

uniform copper colour.

Length of head, 1^ inches; greatest breadth of head, 11 lines;
length of body, 32 inches; length of tail, 1 1 inches. The specimen described had
147 abdominal plates, and 60 pair of sub-caudal bifid plates.
Dimensions.

Habits.

The

habits of the Tropidonotus erythrogaster

seem

closely allied to

those of the Tropidonotus fasciatus; they are found in similar localities, and live

on similar food, though the former

Geographical Distribution.

is less

numerous than the

latter.

have never hitherto heard of the existence of

snake northward of South Carolina;

range extends through that state,
Georgia, Alabama, and along the northern shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
Professor Green, of Philadelphia, has in his possession a specimen taken as far

this

its

west as Amity county, Louisiana.

General Remarks.

name of

This animal was

Copperbellied Snake,

who gave

first

described by Catesby, under the

also a pretty

Foster, in his catalogue appended to Catesby, called

work

good drawing of
it

it;

and

Coluber erythrogaster;

has been overlooked by some naturalists, and by others
referred to the Coluber porcatus of Bosc.
since which

'ri>f)i(l(>iioliis

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TROPIDONOTUS

TAX1SFILOT\:S.—Holbrook.

Plate VIIJ.

Characters,

Head

sub-oval, elongated, covered with large plates above;

body

elongated, but thick, light chocolate-brown, with a triple series of sub-quadrate

and oblong black

spots.

PL 144.

Sc. 79.

The head is elongated, sub-oval, flattened above, and covered
The vertical plate is very regularly quadrilateral; the superior
plates.

Description.

with large
orbital

irregularly oblong, obtusely

pointed

anteriorly.

The

occipital

are

broad, rounded, and notched irregularly posteriorly; behind these are two large

temporal plates on each side. The frontal are regularly hexagonal; the anterior
and triangular, with their apices truncated. The rostral plate

frontal elongated

sub-pentagonal, rounded

above, concave below.

quadrilateral; the anterior hollowed behind,

There are two nasal

and the posterior concave

plates,
front,

There are two quadrilateral posterior orbital plates, nearly
there is but one anterior orbital, nearly a parallelogram.
The

to form the nostril.

of the same

size;

inferior wall of the orbit is

completed by the superior labial plate; there are eight
of these, quadrilateral, the smallest anterior.

The nostrils are large, and open upwards and outwards, and near the snout.
The eyes are large and prominent, the pupil dark, the iris gray. The posterior
The neck
part of the head and neck is covered with small carinated scales.
is much contracted.
The body is elongated, but large, and covered with
hexagonal and very strongly carinated scales, notched posteriorly.
thick at the root, sub-triangular, and long.

The

tail

TROPIDONOTUS TAXISPILOTUS.

The head

dark brown; the whole superior surface of the neck and
body is a hght chocolate-brown. Along the vertebral line is a series of subquadrate black spots, lighter in the centre, and on each flank a row of oblong

Colour.

spots or blotches of the

same shade

diflerent series of spots are occasionally

The abdominal

confluent, so as to form bars.

them with a black spot near

—the

the extremity,

plates are dirty white,

most of

and the centre dotted minutely with

black.

Dimensions.

tail,

Length of head,

5 inches 6

lines:

inch 5 lines; length of body, 28 inches; length

total length,

35 inches.

had one hundred and forty-four abdominal

The

individual here described

plates, the posterior bifid,

and seventy-

nine sub-caudal bifid plates.

me; consequently I am ignorant of
Dr. Geddings, however, informs me that it is a water-snake.

Habits.
habits.

This animal

quite

Geographical Distribution.

come under my

new

its

yet only two specimens of this serpent have

observation; one from the sea-board of South Carolina, the other

from the neighbourhood of the Altamaha river

Georgia.

Tiopedinol us
/ tr

nu/i^M-u, dii

jjioer.
yS' buanl; KtOl Phtfaad'*

TROPIDONOTUS mGER.—Holbrook.
Plate IX.

body elongated, rather slender, above
dusky brown, at times almost black; throat and neck milky-white; abdomen and

Head

Characters.

tail

large, sub-oval;

beneath, slate colour,

PI. 143.

more or

less

relieved in the centre with milky-white.

Sc. 64.

The head

Description.

large, sub-oval, with

the

snout rounded.

The

and with an acute angle behind; the
and project over the eye.
superior orbital are oblong, quadrilateral, largest behind,
The frontal plates are broad, hexagonal, and descend outwardly to a large quadri-

vertical plate is hexagonal, broadest before,

lateral loral plate; the anterior frontal are

rhomboidal and small.

The

occipital

and pentagonal; the temporal are two in number, and the anterior
The rostral is hexagonal, and hollowed out on its inferior face; there are

plates are large
larger.

two nasal

plates, quadrilateral, the

one concave behind and the other before, to

a single large anterior orbital and two small
of the orbit is completed by the fifth
posterior orbital plates; the inferior portion
and sixth labial plates, of which there are eight, quadrilateral and large.

accommodate

the nostril.

There

near the snout, and open a little upwards and outwards. The
neck is
eyes are large, with the pupil black, and the iris smoky-grey. The

The

nostrils are

contracted.

and
long and more slender than in any other of our water-snakes,
covered above with hexagonal, carinated scales, notched at their posterior

The body
is

extremities.

The

tail is

long and triangular.

TROPIDONOTUS NIGER.

38
Colour.

The whole

milky-white; the

superior surface of the animal

abdomen and under

less relieved in the centre

Dimensions.

surface of the

dusky-grey; the throat

tail is slate

colour,

more or

by milky-white.

Length of head,

1 inch;

length of body, 20 inches; length of

tail,

8 inches: total length, 2 feet 5 inches. In the specimen here described, there were
143 abdominal plates and 64 pair of sub-caudal bifid plates.

The Tropidonotus

Habits.

and

niger feeds on small reptiles, as frogs, toads, &c.,

a harmless snake, although commonly considered venomous.

Geographical Distribution.

The Tropidonotus seems

be peculiarly a

northern animal, never having as yet been observed in Pennsylvania, though

New

known under

name

Water
The beautiful specimen, from which the accompanying plate was taken,
was sent to me by Dr. Storer, of Boston, w ho informs me that it was captured at
abundant

in the

England

states,

where

it is

the

Adder.

Cambridofe.
o

New Hampshire represents the Tropidonotus fasciatus of the south, and Tropidonotus sipedon of the middle states.
General Remarks.

This animal

Tropti3()ri<5iiis
./

i RiciiMn

J,.

i-iuida.s
rsri,,.

IQ.

Ml Tiuf

TROPIDONOTUS RIGIDUS.—%.
Plate X.

Body above, brown; abdomen brownish-yellow; each plate with
two oblong dark spots near the centre, so disposed as to make two longitudinal
lines.
Ph 133. Sc. 51.
Characters.

Stnontmes.

Coluber rigidus, Say, Journ. Acad. Nat. Scien. Philad.,

Coluber rigidus, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res.,

Description.

The head

vol. iv. p. 239.

p. IIS.

sub-oval, with a rounded snout.

The

vertical plate

hexagonal and large, broadest before, and acute-angled behind. The superior
orbital are oblong, quadrilateral, broader behind, and projecting over the eye.
is

The

occipital plates are pentagonal

of which the anterior

single square loral

plate.

truncated in front.

The

below.

larger.

The

larger,

portion of the orbit

frontal

There are two temporal plates,
are hexagonal and descend to a

anterior frontal are small and trigonal, a

plates, quadrilateral, the

the other before, for the nostril.
is

The

large.

rostral plate is rather small, pentagonal,

There are two nasal

the superior

and

little

and concave

one concave behind, and

There are two anterior

orbital plates, of

which

and two posterior, small and quadrilateral. The inferior
completed by the third and fourth labial plates, of which

there are seven, large and mostly quadrilateral.

The

open upwards and outwards. The
The neck is contracted.
reddish-grey.

nostrils are near the snout, lateral, but

eyes are large, the pupil black, and

The body is

iris

rather slender, and covered above with hexagonal, strongly carinated

TROPIDONOTUS RIGIDUS.

40
scales,

side

notched at their posterior extremities; the inferior row of scales on each
smooth. The tail is rather long, and compressed or triangular.

Colour.

The whole

superior surface of the Tropidonotus rigidus

The abdomen

slightly tinged with red.

brown; — each

plate

being marked near

yellow, slightly

the centre with

brown,

shaded with reddish-

two oblong dusky

spots,

which do not extend throughout the whole plate; these spots are so disposed as to
form two parallel dark lines on the belly, which terminate at the vent.
Habits.

unacquainted with the habits of this

reptile,

having never seen

but one or two alive.

Dimensions.

Length of head,

length of bod}', 14 inches; length of

1 inch;

tail,

6 inches: total length, 21 inches. In the specimen here described, there were
133 abdominal plates and 51 sub-caudal bifid plates.

The Tropidonotus

Geographical Distribution.

neighbourhood of Philadelphia, where
Mississippi

it is

abundant, doubtless, as

it is

rigidus

appears in the
In Louisiana and

first

exceedingly rare.

have seen a great many specimens from

the former state.

General Remarks.

Say

a very good description of
of Philadelphia.

observed this reptile in Pennsylvania, and gave
the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences

first

TropidojiotiiH
T

]Ut/,tnA.

<t*.r.

sirtilis
rSPuoair.UA

11.

I'kii*

TROPIDOxXOTUS SIRT AUS.—Linnceus.

Plate XI.

Head

Characters.

sub-oval, broad, a yelloAv spot on each occipital plate;

three longitudinal yellow lines;

abdomen

greenish-yellow, plates with a black blotch near their lateral extremities.

PI. 145.

body

dusky above, marked

thick,

Avith

Sc. 70.

Synonymes.

Coluber

sirtalis,

Linnxus,

Syst.

Nat,

torn.

p. 383.

Coluber bipunctatus, Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rept.,

torn. iv. p. 85, pi. 30, fig. 2.

Coluber

sirtalis,

Gnielin, Syst. Nat. Lin.,

pars

Coluber

sirtalis,

Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rept., torn.

Coluber

sirtalis,

Daudin,

Coluber

sirtalis,

Shaw, Gen.

Natrix

sirtalis,

Coluber

torn.

iii.

iv. p.

1107.

69.

Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn. vii. p. 146.
Zool., vol.

iii.

part

ii.

535.

Merrevi, Vcrsuch eines Syst. der Amph.,

sirtalis,

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

p. 132.

Res., p. 116.

Striped Snake, Vulgo.

Description.

The head

with the snout rounded.

rounded where
occijntal;
front.

moderately large, flattened, sub-oval, elongated,
The vertical plate is pentagonal, broad in front, and

the superior orbital

The

and with an angle posteriorly to touch the
arc single, oblong and projecting, narrowest in

joins the frontal,

and pentagonal, broad in front, and joined to the
as well as to the two upper posterior orbital plates.
The frontal

occipital are large

superior orbital,

are large, broad, and pentagonal; the anterior frontal are also broad, but quadrilateral,

with their posterior and inferior angle prolonged.

heptagonal, concave on

Vol.

IV.— 6

its

inferior

The

rostral plate is

margin, for the mouth; there are two nasal

TROPIDONOTUS SIRTALIS.

42
plates,

of which the anterior

gonal; behind

this is

largest

and semilunated, the posterior

penta-

a loral plate, connected above to the frontal, and posteriorly

to the anterior orbital,

which

and the

very large and oblong, ascending up between the

There are three small posterior orbital,
irregularly quadrilateral, and nearly of the same size; the upper one passes in
between the superior orbital and the occipital plates; the inferior border of the
superior orbital

orbit

on each

made up of

frontal plates.

the third and fourth labial, of which plates there are seven

side, quadrilateral

and

large, the fourth

and

fifth largest;

there are two

temporal plates, the anterior larger.

The

nostrils are lateral

and

yellowish-grey.

The neck

The body

long, but

large.

The

eyes are large, the pupil black; the

iris

contracted.

covered with strongly hexagonal
carinated scales above and with broad plates below. The tail is
long, thick at
the root, but soon becomes round, and terminates in a
point.

Colour.

tolerably robust,

The head above

dusky, with a tinge of olive; each occipital plate

being marked with a minute yellow spot; the upper lip
and marked with a dark line at the junction of the labial

The body and

above

greenish-straw colour,

plates.

dusky, with a tinge of olive, lighter on the sides,
Avith three longitudinal lines of pale yellow; the vertebral
begins at the distance of
three or four scales from the occipital plates, and terminates about midway on the
tail

and includes one whole

and the half of the two adjoining scales on
each side; the lateral lines begin behind the temples, and are smaller, including
the half of two adjoining scales only; between the vertebral and lateral lines are
tail,

numerous

scale,

small, quadrate, black spots, disposed in longitudinal series, the spots of

the different series alternating with each other, and

when

the scales are separated

white specks appear between them; beneath the lateral lines the colour

The abdomen

paler.

pale straw colour, with a tinge of green; and each plate

TROPIDONOTUS SIRTALIS.
marked with a small black
a longitudinal

series;

side, the smaller

Dimensions.

8i inches: total

spot near

its

junction with the scales; these spots form

sometimes there are two rows of these black spots on each

being the inner one.

Length of head, 13 lines; length of body, 22 inches; length of tail,
times reaches the length
length, 29 inches 6 hnes. This animal at

however, they are found between two and three
In the specimen here described there were 145 abdominal plates, and

of nearly four
feet long.

70 sub-caudal

Habits.

feet;

in general,

bifid plates.

This serpent

extremely gentle in

without the least fear of injury; indeed,

prefers

GEOGRAPfflCAL DISTRIBUTION.
Atlantic states, from

Maine

often found

The Tropidouotus

to Florida inclusive;

and can be handled

sirtalis

attempt to

among high

found in

bite.

grass,

all

the

inhabits also the country west

animal high up the Missouri
and I have seen specimens from Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, &c.

of the Alleghany mountains.
river;

its disposition,

have never known

shady places for its abode, and
&c.
feeding on toads and other small reptiles,

General

Reivl\rks.

The

Say observed

first

this

notice of this serpent

in the tenth edition of

of Kalm.
Systema Naturse of Linnaeus, who described it on the authority
His account is so short and unsatisfactory that many herpetologists have thought
advisable to expunge this name altogether from the catalogue of North
it
American reptiles; yet if we follow the early history of this animal we shall find
the

the specific

of a

new

Kalm

sirtalis

sufiiciently intelligible,

and thus avoid the inconvenience

one.

travelled over a certain portion of the United States, in which, to this

time, only
lines;

name

two snakes have been found marked with three yellow longitudinal

and the herpetology of

as that of France.

this section

of our country

perhaps as well knoAvn

TROPIDONOTUS SIRTALIS.

Now

Linntcus himself gave the specific

name

sirtaHs to one;

and many years

knowing both; of the latter animal there
only references are to Catesby and Garden; consequently

after that, of saurita to the other, well

can be no doubt, as
the specific

name

his

sirtalis

can only be applied to the serpent

now under

considera-

tion.

SchoepfT, doubtless, had the Tropidonotus sirtalis in view

Coluber

taenia (Die

Band Schlange);

Linnaeus has the right of priority.

but his

name cannot be

when

describing his

retained, as that of

Ti'o|)i(ii)n(jliis
'

AttJuii d,

1'^

12.

oriiiriHliis

TROPIDONOTUS ORDINATUS.—LmM^Ms.
Plate XII.

Head moderate,

Characters.

body robust, greenish-olive above,

flattened;

of small sub-quadrate black spots, the series alternating with each other; abdomen pale green, tinged with yellow, a dark spot near
PL 143. Sc. GG.
the lateral extremity of each plate.
with

five longitudinal series

Synonymes.

Little

Green Garter-snake, Catesby, Carolina,

Coluber ordinatus, Linnseus, Syst. Nat,

torn.

Coluber ordinatus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. Linn.,
L'Ibibe, Lacephle, Hist, des Serp., torn.

ii.

&c., vol.

torn.

pars

iii.

Coluber ordinatus, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res.,
Grass Snake, Vulgo.

the vertical plate

liii.

1097.

p. 71.

ISl.

Coluber ordinatus, Merrem, Versuch eines Syst. der Amphib.,
Coluber ordinatus, Fitzinger, Neue Class der Rept., p. 53.

The head

p. 53, pi.

p. 322.

Coluber ordinatus, Laireille, Hist. Nat. Rep., torn. iv.
Coluber ibibe, Daudin, Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn. vii.

Description.

ii.

p. 379.

p. 93.

p. 113.

flattened, oval, with

the snout rather truncated;

pentagonal, broadest before; the superior orbital are oblong,

quadrilateral, broadest posteriorly; the occipital are large, irregularly pentagonal,

and broadest anteriorly.
There are two regular pentagonal frontal plates,
broadest internally, and two anterior frontal, irregularly triangular, with their
bases rounded and directed outwards; the rostral
gonal, most extensive and concave below.
anterior larger, quadrilateral, and truncated

and crescentic

form; there

short

and

irregularly penta-

There are two nasal
posteriorly; the posterior

plates,
is

the

smaller

a single anterior orbital plate, pentagonal, and

TROPIDONOTUS ORNINATUS.

46
most extensive

vertically, projecting in

completed by the third and fourth

labial,

seven on each side, quadrilateral to the fourth; the
the seventh triangular and smaller; the loral plate

The

and

frontal

of which plates there are

fifth

and

sixth are pentagonal,

quadrilateral and large.

and open outwards, upwards, and backwards.
The neck
the pupil dusky, and the iris greenish-yellow.

nostrils are near the snout,

The eye
is

orbital

small quadrilateral posterior orbital; the inferior wall of

plates; there are three

the orbit

between the superior

rather large,

contracted.

The body

elongated, but robust, flattened, and covered with strongly carinated

hexagonal scales above, and with plates below.

Colour.

The head

dusky above, tinged with green; the

lips

are lighter, with

a black or dusky bar at the place of junction of the plates. The body and tail
above are green, tinged with olive, sometimes with an indistinct vertebral line of
lighter colour,

which does not seem to be the

result of age; there are five longi-

tudinal series of small quadrate black spots, generally including parts of

two or

three adjoining scales; the spots of the different series alternate with each other,

or are arranged in a regular quincunx;
throat and

abdomen are

at the tail they are less regular.

greenish-yellow, and each plate

marked near

The

its lateral

extremities with a semicircular black spot; which, as they are placed in regular

succession,

make two

longitudinal series along the

yellow below, becoming more and more dusky towards the

Dimensions.

tail

beyond

Length of head

1 inch; length

vent, 6| inches:

total length,

The

abdomen.

tail is

clouded

tip.

of body to vent, 18 inches; length

25i inches.

In the animal here

described, there were 143 abdominal plates, and 66 sub-caudal scales.

Habits.

The Tropidonotus

grass

same

locahties.

luxuriant,

ordinatus prefers

meadows and

and preys on ^uch insects or small

pastures,

reptiles as

may

where the
select the

TROPIDONOTUS ORDINATUS.
Geographical Distribution.

This animal inhabits the southern

north as Maryland; beyond this I have no evidence of

General Remarks.

The

first

its

states, as far

existence.

positive notice of this serpent

Catesby's History of Carolina, &c., where

The

may

be seen

described and figm-ed as the

though it represents the animal
with a well-marked light-coloured vertebral line, which certainly is not very

Green Spotted Snake.

figure

tolerable,

common.
Catesby says it grows to nearly four times the size of his figure, which would
make it a serpent of nearly four feet in length. He is doubtful about considering
from the Spotted Riband-snake (PI. li.), which latter I have not been
able to identify certainly with any of our serpents, though it seems most to
resemble the Tropidonotus Dekayi. Catesby, as usual with most of his snakes,

difterent

makes

a "great robber of hen-roosts

— sucking eggs," &c., which

doing great

injustice to the animal.

Daudin says, "without doubt the Couleuvre biponctuee of Bosc must be referred
to this animal," to which I can by no means consent, never yet having seen the

two

by Bosc, while they are
which was most probably the serpent

occipital spots that characterize the animal described

always present in the Tropidonotus sirtalis,
from which he took his description of the Coluber bipunctatus.

^'^^

Tropi»-ionolTis

r r

If^bons.
rJ yianaflM.f/'il

y/ .T>'^,«L/Jv rtW

13.

TROPIDONOTUS

LEBERIS.—Linnmis.

Plate XIII.

Head moderate,

Characters.

neck contracted; body

sub-oval;

elongated,

above dusky olive-brown, with three black hnes; abdomen pale yellow, with four

dusky

Synonymes.
Coluber

Coluber

leberis,

Linnxus,

143.

Syst.

Nat,

leberis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. Lin., torn.

Vipera

leberis, Latreille, Hist. Nat.

Vipera

leljcris,

Coluber

scales strongly carinated.

lines;

Daudin,

leberis,

Rept,

Sc. 70.

torn.

pars

iii.

216, ed.

torn. iv. p. 8.

Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn. vi. p. 218.

Shaw, Gen.

Zool., vol.

iii.

part

ii.

433.

Coluber septemvittatus, Say, Journ. Acad. Nat. Scien. Philad., vol.
Coluber septemvittatus, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res.,

Description.

rounded at the
before;

the

The head
The
tip.

same length as the

The

gonal, broadest transversely, descending far

well as above,

on the

vertical, but

very

head to join the
broader behind and

side of the

rostral plate is heptagonal, short,

and concave below; the

and broadest

frontal plates are irregularly hexa-

the anterior frontal are quadrilateral, but irregularly so,

The

420.

p. IIS.

vertical plate is regularly pentagonal,

superior orbital are of the

narrower before.

iv. p.

rather small, elongated, sub-oval and with the snout

narrow, elongated, and quadrilateral.

loral;

p. 1086.

and rounded

in front

occipital are pentagonal, smaller,

and

notched behind.

The

of the same

the anterior lunated behind and the posterior crescentic in front,

size;

accommodate

the

nasal plates are two in number, quadrilateral, and nearly

nostril.

anterior orbital; and in front of

Vol.

IV.— 7

There are two
them

small,

elongated, quadrilateral

a large pentagonal, loral plate; there are

TROPIDONOTUS LEBERIS.

two posterior orbital, the inferior smaller and quadrilateral, the superior larger
and crescentic; behind these is a single oblong temporal plate; the inferior wall of
completed by the third and fourth labial, of which plates there are
eight on each side, all large and nearly quadrilateral.
the orbit

near the snout, and open a little upwards. The eyes
are large, the pupil dusky, and the iris golden, with a few black specks.
The
neck is contracted, and covered with small sub-hexagonal carinated scales.

The

nostrils are lateral

The body

elongated, rather slender, and covered above with large hexagonal,

strongly carinated scales, slightly notched at their posterior extremity, and with

The

broad plates below.

compressed at the

tail

long, slender,

belly

slightly sub-triangular

and

sides.

The superior surface of the head
The body above is olive-brown, with

Colour.
colour.

and

olive-brown; the lips are straw-

three longitudinal dusky hues; the

pale yellow, with four dusky longitudinal, parallel lines

on the

plates;

near the lateral extremities are largest, those near the centre of the
abdomen smaller. The tail is coloured above like the back, though the lines
those

disappear long before they have reached the

tip;

below, the lateral lines are

continued for some distance, the central ones giving only a waving clouded
appearance at the junction of the sub-caudal bifid plates.

Dimensions.

7 inches:

total

Length of head,
length, 27 inches.

in his possession

much

1 inch;

length of body, 19 inches; length of

Dr. Green informs

tail,

that he has specimens

larger than the dimensions above given.

In the specimen

here described there were 143 abdominal plates, with the anal double, and 70
bifid plates

Habits.

under the

tail.

Not much

Peale, however, informs

known

of the habits of the Tropidonotus leberis.

that

Mr.

a water-snake; and this might almost

TROPIDONOTUS LEBERIS.
have been inferred from the form of
our

common

Geographical

Distribution.

New Jersey
To Dr. Green

Michigan,
others.

Haldeman

if its tail

Avater-snakes,

its

scales,

which are precisely

like those of

were not round.

This

serpent

inhabits

New York, and doubtless
am indebted for several fine

and
I

Pennsylvania,

Ohio,

be found

many

will

specimens; and to Mr.

animal.
for the hvins
't>

General Remarks.

am happy

in being able to restore this long lost species

to its proper place in the catalogue of

doubt of

its

following

its

Northern American

being the Coluber leberis of Linnteus, as

reptiles, as I

may

made

have no
plain

early history.

Kalm, who

first

discovered this animal and furnished the description, resided

Delaware and Pennsylvania, and from thence he travelled to
Canada: now the only serpent marked with dusky lines "fasciiE lineares nigrge,"
for

a short time

ever yet found in the section of country over which he passed, is the animal now
under consideration. It is true he represents it as a viper, and in this he is
followed by

many

naturalists, but they are excusable, as they never

saw the

animal; and Kalm's observations must have been superficial, and consequently not
He was informed the snake was poisonous, and he believed it;
to be relied on.

as Catesby
sented

was

in his

told the Ileterodon niger

work with

was venomous, and he of course

repre-

fangs.
'&^

no poisonous snakes have been found in the country
that Kalm examined, except the Rattlesnake and Copperhead; and the herpetology
It is

enough

of this region

to say that

perhaps better

Say next described

known than any

this serpent,

"septemvittatus," from the

and gave

number of

its

other part of the United States.

the very appropriate specific

longitudinal dusky lines;

his

name
name,

however, cannot be retained, as that of Linnaeus has the right of priority, which
should be adhered to rigidly.

v> .V^

•^

V'.v

TropidoTiotiis Dokavi.
J^Mlfu-hard.

^.SJlura/.Zlth.PkU*

TROPIDONOTUS DEKAYI.— //o/iroo^.

Plate

Characters.

Head

XIV.

a
elongated; snout rounded; body olive-brown above, with

which
pale vertebral line, on each side of

a double series of small sub-quadrate
or rounded black spots; abdomen straw colour, with a tinge of green; and each
marked with four minute black dots, arranged to form four irregular longiis

plate

tudinal rows, which terminate at the

Description.

The head

tail;

loral plate.

PI.

139.

Sc. 46.

rather large, narrow, and with the snout rounded.

broad before and pointed behind; the occipital
before and narrower behind; the
plates are very long and pentagonal, broader

The

vertical plate is pentagonal,

the frontal plates are
superior orbital are quadrilateral, very long, and projecting;

broad and pentagonal, with their superior border longest and their inferior
shortest; narrow externally where they pass down to join with the posterior nasal
frontal are rhomboidal, with their inferior and posterior angles
plate; the anterior
the
prolonged; the rostral plate is large, rather pentagonal, and pointed above;
nasal plates are two in number, nearly quadrilateral, with an opening between

them

for the nostril; the anterior orbital is single, quadrilateral,

are two posterior orbital plates, nearly of the
inferior walls of the orbit are
plates, of

which there are

si.x,

same

size,

but

much

and

large; there

smaller,

and the

completed by the third and fourth superior labial
all
quadrilateral, the fourth and fifth being longest.

and very near the snout. The eyes are rather large,
the pupil black, with the iris of dark grey.
The neck is contracted, and covered

The

nostrils are lateral

with small carinated scales.

TROPIDONOTUS DEKAYI.

The body

elongated, but rather stout for the size of the animal, and covered

above with carinated hexagonal

The

tail is slender,

The

Colour.

scales,

and with broad plates on the abdomen.

round, one-fourth the length of the body.

superior surface of the head

dusky-olive, with a darker spot

below each eye, and another at the angle of the mouth, with two oblong, nearly
black spots on the sides of the occiput. The body above is olive-brown, and

marked with a pale yellowish
extremity of the

vertebral line, extending from the head to near the

on each side of which

tail,

a double series of rounded or sub-

quadrate black spots, the superior most distinct; and each abdominal plate has
several minute black dots, which are so disposed as to form four series, not very
regular, on the belly,

Dimensions.

tail

grass

Length of head, 8

beyond the

Habits.
is

and terminate

at the

lines;

tail.

length of body to vent, 14 inches; length

vent, 3i inches: total length, 15 inches

The Tropidonotus Dekayi

frequents

lines.

meadows and

places where the

of luxuriant growth, and feeds on various insects, as crickets, grass-

hoppers, &c.

Geographical Distribution.
found

it~ in

This animal has a very Avide range; Dr. Pickering
Massachusetts, Dr. Dekay in New York, Dr. Pitcher has seen it in

Michigan, and Professor Green has specimens from Louisiana.

General Remarks.

Dr. Pickering several years since furnished

with an

had been very generally considered
as the young of the Tropidonotus ordinatus or Tropidonotus sirtalis, from
which, however, it is perfectly distinct in colour, form, and in wanting a loral

individual of this species, which, until that time,

specimen of this serpent,
with a beautiful drawing, done from life, and proposed calling it Coluber dorsalis:
the name is appropriate enough, but has been applied to another animal by

plate.

Recently iny friend Dr. Dekay, gave

Fitzinger.

fine

TROPIDONOTUS DEKAYI.
Though
all

having

the animals of the last described genus form a very natural group in

nearly the

same form of head, with cheeks

well developed,

and the

body sub-triangular, which, as well as the head, the animal can flatten at will,
when the ribs are elevated and drawn forwards, and scales sub-hexagonal,
carinated, notched posteriorly, &c. &c.; yet from the form of the tail they can
be readily arranged in two sections

and

Those with the

Tropidonotus

tail

in the water,

more or

The

sirtalis, d:c.

the Tropidonotus leberis,

Those with

the

The

less

tail

cylindrical,

only exception to the

where the

tail is

cylindrical;

which, however, does not prove that

element, as do those with a triangular

compressed

laterally

curious,

in Dactylopteri,

when

live

on land, as

would perhaps be
and yet Mr. Peale once
last,

seeks

its

food in that

and

for

what purpose

not

most of our serpents that are covered
water or near it. This circumstance seems

certain that

with this form of scales either

that

tail.

scales of this group are remarkably rough,

easily determined; yet

still

triangular, like the water-snakes of our country, as Tropidonotus fasciatus,

&c.

saw

—

(Lacepede.)

live in

remembered

that few fish have carinated scales, as

llrU'Codoii

sjiiirii-

fsfiu-,,/

^^0j^6/i^ //''

15.

/.,/y.

HETERODON .—Palisot
Genus Heterodox.

—Characters.

Head

dc Bcauvais.

large, flat; the rostral plate a trihedral

pyramid, with a ridge above and pointed at the tip; posterior maxillary teeth
largest; loral plate single; orbit surrounded with small plates, Avith the exception

of the superior

Body and neck

orbital.

HETERODON

distensible.

S1MVS.—Lin7iceus,

Plate

XV.

Characters. Head very short, flattened; snout elongated, turned up or slightly
recurved; azygous plate between the frontal, surrrounded by six or eight smaller

body grey, with a vertebral series of sub-quadrate or rounded black spots
or transverse bars; tail fawn colour. PI. 132. Sc. 39.
plates;

Synonymes.

Hog Nose Snake, Catesby, Carol., &c., vol.
Coluber constrictor, Linnxus, Syst. Nat., ed. x. torn. i.

(

Coluber simus, Linnseus, Syst. Nat., ed.

La camuse, Luc^plde,

Hist, des Serp., torn.

Coluber simus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. Lin.,

Description.

The head

short,

turned upwards, and rather recurved.
with
is

its

basis broad

xii. torn.
ii.

torn.

p.
i.

216.

)

/yvo

375.

284.
pars

flattened

The

p. 56, pi. Ivi.

ii.

iii.

and

10S6.

triangular, with

the

snout

vertical plate is irregularly triangular,

and turned forward, and

its

apex directed backwards; there

a single, very large quadrilateral superior orbital plate, projecting somewhat

Vol.

IV.— 8

HETERODON

over the eye; the rest of the orbit
plates, the

lateral

inferior of

plates are pentagonal,

anterior frontal plates

on the mesial

line,

which

SIMUS.

completed by ten or eleven small quadri-

rests

on the superior

labial.

The

occipital

and very large; the frontal are pentagonal and broad; the
are rounded and smaller; between these frontal plates, and
a long, slender, intermediate or azygous plate, extending

from the vertical to the

rostral,

and surrounded on each

scales or small plates that separate

side with six or eight

completely from the frontal.

The

rostral

and represents a three sided pyramid, with its broadest surface
directed forwards, and with its summit turned upward, and rounded, unlike the
pointed snout in the Hetcrodon platirhinos, which gives to this animal a peculiar
plate is very large,

aspect,

and much more

like the

snout of a hog.

posterior one large and triangular, with

There are three nasal

plates, the

basis lunated for the nostril,

its

and

connected behind by a large loral plate with the orbit of the eye; the anterior
nasal are quadrilateral and smaller, and in some individuals are consolidated into

one

plate; the

superior labial plates are eight in

number on each

lateral, and very small anteriorly, but much larger
sixth and seventh are largest.

The

nostrils are lateral

and near the snout.

posteriorly,

The

side, quadri-

and of these the

eyes are rather large, the

The neck is not contracted, and is covered
above with small sub-hexagonal scales. The body is elongated, but tolerably
The
robust, though flattened, and covered above with similar scales, carinated.
pupil black, with the iris light grey.

tail is

short and thick.

Colour. The head

dusky-brown above the snout, with a black band extending

transversely between the anterior part of the orbits.

as the centre of the superior orbital plate,

lightest

The

vertical plate, as well

brown, so as to present the

appearance of a white band across the vertex; the occipital plates are black,' and
from them descends laterally on each side of the neck an elongated black blotch,
increasing in descent, and having a white blotch between them in the mesial line

—

these

two

lateral

marks represent the expanded wings of an

centre black spot on

the occipital plates form the body.

insect, while the

The upper jaw and

HETERODON

SIMUS.

cheeks are light grey, with a dusky narrow band descending from the posterior
and inferior part of the orbit to the angle of the mouth.
,

The body

is light

grey, with a triple series of dusky or black spots, the vertebral

range largest, generally sub-quadrate, though they vary in form and size, and are
separated from each other by a transverse light-coloured bar; the lateral series
are

much

and placed at the extremities of the lightThe throat and abdomen
alternate with the dorsal series.

smaller, generally rounded,

coloured bars, so as to

in general are dirty white,

colour

is liable

marked with numerous small black

The

to variations.

tail is

though the
fawn colour, with transverse bands a
dots,

shade or two darker.

Dimensions.
lines;

Length of head, 9

lines;

length of body, 11 inches; length of

breadth of head
tail,

when not

flattened,

If inches: total length, IS^ inches.

In the individual described there were one hundred and thirty-two abdominal
plates,

and one hundred and

thirty-six sub-caudal bifid plates, with

pressed and pointed scale at the tip of the

Geographical Distribution.
islands of Georgia

a small com-

tail.

The Heterodon simus

and South Carolina, and

may

southern Virginia; but I have no evidence of

its

found about the sea

even be seen as far north as
existence beyond

lat.

35° in the

Atlantic states.

General Remarks.

It is

most probable that the Coluber simus

the animal

Hog Nose

Snake, though he gave no description by Avhich it can be distinguished from the Heterodon platirhinos of Beauvais.
I believe the animals to be identical: first, because the Heterodon simus is common
represented in Catesby's

work as

the

by Catesby, while the Heterodon platirhinos is
never met with it in Carolina, save in the interior of

the section of country visited

there seldom, if ever, seen; I

the state: and secondly, Linnaeus drew up his description of the Coluber simus
from an individual furnished him by Garden, from the immediate neighbourhood of
Charleston, where this species abounds.

HETERODON

(30

This serpent,

would seem, was

Systema Naturce as the Coluber
its

existence in Canada, where,

SIMUS.

admitted into the tenth edition of the

first

constrictor,

by the way,

and Kalm

it is

given as authority for

The

never seen.

description

is,

on the whole, good: "Maxillae apex simus triqueter," &c. Yet Linnaeus attributes
to this species the habits of another and an entirely distinct species, the Black
Snake, as derived from Kalm: "adoritur homines circum pedes sese convolvens,"
Linnaeus here certainly confounded
&c., which the Coluber simus never does.

two very

dissimilar animals;

and of

this

he himself was afterwards aware, for he

corrects the error in his twelfth edition, and gives excellent descriptions of both

these animals, the

Hog Nose and

the Black Snake: of the former (Heterodon

simus) he says, "Caput sub-rotundum,

simum gibbum,"

&c.,

(Coluber constrictor) he properly enough gives the habits

Kalm, "Adoritur homines,"

The remarks
is

attributed to

of Cuvier on the Heterodon simus are curious; he says "Linnfcus

known why

not

to the latter

&:c.

indicated this serpent in his tenth edition under the
it

and

the twelfth he changed

name Coluber
to that of

constrictor,

Boa

and

contortrix."*

appears to me, never made the change supposed by Cuvier. The
Coluber constrictor of the tenth edition probably represented our animal, and
Linnaeus,

certainly disappears in the twelfth,

Nose and

the Black Snake,

and

replaced by two

and not by the Boa contortrix,

new

species, the

for in the

Hog

account of

does not preserve a single character of his original
Coluber constrictor, neither the "maxillae apex simus triqueter," nor the "adoritur
this latter animal, Linnaeus

—

homines," &c. nor the number of plates nor the same geographical distribution;
the one belongs to Canada, the other he received from South Carolina.
The one

he considers an innocuous animal, the other as a poisonous one.
"Sacculos
venenatos habet," &c.
Why he should have given Catesby's Hog Nose as
* Linnaeus avait bien
indique ce serpent dans sa dixi^me edition sous le
constrictor, on ne

Animal,

torn.

ii.

scait

p. 82.

pourquoi

I'a

change dans

nom

de Coluber

douzieme en Boa contortrix.

— Regno

HETERODON
synonymous with
have

his

Boa

common more

this in fact

SIMUS.

contortrix I cannot determine, for the only thing they

than any other snake

only applies to

their geographical distribution,

some of the southern

states, for the

phalus) contortrix has a wide range, while that

hmited.

and

Boa (Trigonoce-

of the Heterodon simus

IIcIckkIum niocr.

IIETERODON NIGER.— Co/es%.
Plate

Characters.

Head

XVI.

covered with plates in front and with
scales behind; snout pointed, and turned upwards at the tip; whole animal black
above and bluish slate-colour below. PI. 127. Sc. 50.

Synonymes.

flattened, triangular,

Black viper, Catesby,

Scytale niger,

Daudin,

Carol., &c., vol.

ii.

p. 44, pi. xliv.

Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn. v. p. 343.

Coluber cacodemon, Shaw, Gen. Zool.,vol.

iii.

377,

pi. cii.

Pelias niger, Merrein.

Coluber thraso, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res.,

p. 130.

Med. and Phys. Res., p. 130.
Troost, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y.,

Scytalus niger, Harlan,

Heterodon

niger,

Description.

and pointed

The head

vol.

iii.

large, flattened, triangulai',

p. 186.

broader behind, narrow

covered with scales posteriorly and with plates anteriorly.
The vertical plate is pentagonal, broadest in front; the superior orbital are
irregularly quadrilateral, broadest behind, with their outer margins projecting.

The

in front,

occipital plates are rhomboidal; the frontal elongated, hexagonal,

externally; the anterior frontal triangular, their bases inwards,

above to form a ridge.

their apices

an additional long, narrow
The rostral plate is triangular, the base

reaching almost to the nostrils; between their bases
plate, elevated

and

and narrow

directed downwards, the apex upwards and pointed, with an elevated ridge

upper surface. The nasal plates are two; the anterior is round
above, and concave behind; the posterior is narrow and lunated
complete the opening of the

nostril.

The

loral plate

in front
in

its

and

front, to

single, pentagonal,

and

HETERODON

The

very large.

anterior orbital plates are four in number, and
nearly quadri-

There are four

lateral; the superior is largest.

orbital, all quadrilateral.

and increasing

The

NIGER.

The upper jaw has

in size to the seventh,

nostrils are large, lateral,

which

inferior orbital

eight lateral plates,

all

quadrilateral,

the largest.

and near the snout.

pupil black, the iris very dark gray.

and three posterior

The neck

The

eyes are large, the
the size of the head, and

covered with carinated scales.

The body

elongated, but short, thick, and rounded above, flattened at the

abdomen, covered above with larger scales than those of the neck; these are
The tail is
carinated, but less distinctly than those of the Heterodon platirhinos.
long, small, cylindrical,

Colour.
throat,

The

and pointed at the

colour above

tip.

uniformly black;

and bluish slate-colour on the abdomen and

Dimensions.
flattened,

Length of head,

below

whitish at the

tail.

inch 3 lines;

breadth of head,

length of body, ISi inches; length of

lines;

tail,

when not

41 inches; circum-

ference of body, 3 inches 2 lines.

Habits.

The Heterodon

niger has similar habits to the Heterodon platirhinos,

seems to choose drier places for its abode, and are not
uncommon in the pine barren districts. It has the same power of flattening the
head and neck, and "threatening with a horrid hiss;" its dark colour, its sinister
but

general

look and menacing

venomous snake.

have led to the common

attitude,

Even Catesby

destruction as the Rattlesnake."

being a

"having the like fangs of
however, a harmless snake, feeding on

represents
It is,

belief of its

smaller reptiles, insects, &c.

The Heterodon niger is rarely found as far
one of the most common snakes in the lower part

Geographical Distribution.
north as Pennsylvania, but

HETERODON
of Carolina and in Georgia.

and there can be
I

little

have also received

doubt of

its

65
from Alabama and Louisiana,

existence throughout the western country, as

have Professor Troost's testimony

General Remarks.

NIGER.

proof of

its

belonging to Tennessee.

There can be no doubt that

animal was

this

first

described by Catesby; later naturalists having only copied his description, or his
plate,

which

one of the best

in his

work.

Daudin and others speak of a black variety of Heterodon, which has reference
no doubt to this animal. I cannot, however, consider it as a variety of any
Heterodon, but as a distinct and separate species. It cannot be a variety of the
Heterodon simus, because the plates of the head are so entirely different; besides
a much larger animal. It bears more resemblance to the Heterodon
in the number of its
platirhinos; from which it differs, however, considerably,
it

must be taken as

its

habits, preferring

abdominal plates and in its colour, which is so constant that
an essential character in distinguishing the species.

It differs

furthermore from the Heterodon platirhinos in

dry places; while that seems to select rocky, shady, and

damp

situations.

would appear to be a difference of geographical distribution; at
some parts of the United States. Thus, in Carolina the Heterodon

Finally, there
least

platirhinos

common

the upper districts of the state, and I have never

heard of the Black Viper being found there; while the reverse
sea-board: here the Heterodon niger

seldom found.

Vol.

IV.— 9

—
very common the Heterodon

true of the
platirhinos

lli^UM'(><h>H nhilii'liiiios

ra. Vuval.
Srru /jiTu:}

17.

Lith-^r/ul:-

HETERODON PLATIRHINOS.—La^m7/e.
Plate XVII.

Head

Characters.

snout, a strong ridge

short, flattened, triangular, turned

on the

rostral plate above;

up and pointed at the

body greyish or yellowish-grey

above, with large blotches or transverse bars or oblong spots of black;
PI. 144.
Sc. 42.
dirty-white.

Synonymes.

Coluber heterodoo, Latreille, Hist Nat. Rept.,

Coluber heterodon, Daudin, Hist. Nat. des Rept,
fig.

abdomen

torn. iv. p. 32, figs. 1, 2, 3.

torn. vii.

153,

fig.

of head,

pi. Ix.

28.

Coluber heterodon, Say, Amer. Jour. Arts and Scien.,
Coluber heterodon, Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res.,

vol.

261.

p. 120.

Hog-nose Snake, Vulgo.

Description,

The head

large, flat, triangular,

broad behind, with the snout

pointed and elongated at the tip; it is covered with scales on the posterior part,
and with plates on the anterior and on the vertex. The vertical plate is regularly

pentagonal, with

its

broadest part directed forwards; the superior orbital are

and broadest posteriorly, with their outer margins proThe occipital
jecting over the eye, which gives a sinister look to the animal.
quadrilateral, elongated,

plates are rhomboidal.

angles very

much

The

frontal are quadrilateral, with their anterior inferior

prolonged; the anterior frontal are triangular, with their bases

directed inwards, and their apices rounded and turned to the nostrils.

the anterior frontal, to prevent

narrow, elongated, azygous

them coming

plate,

in contact with

Between

each other,

reaching from the posterior frontal to the

HETERODON PLATIRHINOS.

gg
rostral plate, with a ridge

its

upper surface continuous with that of the rostral

plate.

The

below and the apex very pointed
above, and recurved, with a strong carina or ridge on the upper surface. The
nasal plates are two on each side; the anterior is irregularly quadrilateral,
rostral plate is triangular, with its basis

lunated on the posterior margin, with

prolonged; the posterior

There are twelve

its

anterior and inferior angle greatly

narrow, and concave

orbital

the

plates,

complete the nostril.
superior of which have been already
in front to

described; besides these, there are three anterior orbital plates, which are quadrithe largest being above; the inferior orbital are five and the posterior

lateral,

orbital three in

number,

all

labial plates, quadrilateral,

The upper jaw has

of which are quadrilateral.

and increasing

in size to the sixth,

which

eight

largest.

very large, near the snout, and lateral. The eyes are large,
the pupil dark, the iris light grey.
The neck is the size of the head when the
animal is quiet, but when roused or irritated it flattens it more than twice its

The

nostrils are

The body

elongated, thick, rounded above, but flattened
at the abdomen, covered with scales strongly carinated above, the three inferior

ordinary breadth.

lateral

rows being ecarinate, and with plates below.

and terminating
Colour.

in a point, with scales or bifid

The head above

behind the occiput

which increases
neck.

triple

plates on

its

tail is

long, narrow,

under surface.

dusky, with a light band between the orbits;
a dark band begins at the back of each nostril,

a dusky spot;

in size as

The body

The

descends, and forms a large blotch on the side of the

and
iron-grey, or sometimes brownish-yellow,

series of black or

dark grey spots

—those

marked with

of the vertebral series being

of the lateral rows are rounded,
sub-quadrate and elongated transversely; the spots
and many of them correspond with those of the vertebral line, while others alternate with them.

Sometimes the spots of the

confluent, so as to give the appearance of bands.

lateral

and vertebral

lines

are

HETERODON PLATIRHINOS.

Length of head, 18 Unes; breadth of head, when not disturbed,
1 inch; length of body, 27 inches; length of tail, 5 inches; circumference of body,
4^ inches. In the individual here described, there were one hundred and fortyDimensions.

four abdominal plates entire, and

two

plates near the vent,

bifid

and forty-two

pair of sub-caudal bifid plates.

The Heterodon

Habits.

and feeding on
bold animal

toads, small reptiles,

when

a harmless snake, choosing moist places
and insects. Though a harmless, yet it is a
is

platirhinos

disturbed;

manner of the Rattlesnake,

coils itself after the

though not so closely, assumes a threatening attitude, by flattening the head and
three or four inches of the neck, which it lifts and waves with an undulating
motion, hissing loudly at the same time, and projects the head with a sudden
motion, as

It is

if to bite

any object presented.

remarkable, however, that I have never seen

object offered

it,

in the

many

of any

bite or lay hold

times that I have tried the experiment.

may

worried with the end of a walking-stick or cane, or pushed roughly from place to
place, yet cannot be provoked to open its mouth, though it often advances its

head with a threatening

At times

air

towards the object of

some

exhibits the instinct of

and motionless, as
several minutes.

The

dead, to elude
first

its

annoyance.

insects,

and remains

tormentor; in this state

its

time this phenomenon

came under my

perfectly quiet
it

will

observation, I

thought the animal had been unintentionally killed by rough handling; and
only after witnessing the
clusion that

was done

same thing

New

The Heterodon

Hampshire

to Florida.

from Alabama and Louisiana, and

generally, as Dr. Pickering informs

Engineer Cantonment

instances that I

many

came

was

to the con-

at will.

Geographical Distribution.
Atlantic states from

remain

platirhinos
I

found in

all

the

have also received specimens

no doubt inhabits the western states
that

on the Missouri.

has been observed as far west as
is

probable

that the

Heterodon

HETERODON PLATIRHINOS.

70
annulatus of Troost*

more or

individuals

only a variety of

this, for

not

uncommon

to see

less annulated.

General Remarks.

There can be no doubt that

platirhinos of Latreille, from his description, as well as

this

the

Heterodon

from the geographical

This species of Heterodon is found in New Jersey,
where Palisot de Beauvais first observed it, and from which state the animal
distribution he gives

it.

here described was also received.

seems

Atlantic states

which

very clear that

—Heterodon

we have

platirhinos,

latter differs in several respects

three species of Heterodon in the

Heterodon

niger,

and Heterodon simus

from the two former; as in

size, in

—

having

and markings, in the form of the rostral plate, and
the neck
in having the azygous plate between the anterior frontal plates surrounded with
small scales; as well as in being confined to the southern and western states.
smaller, in colour

The

animals of this genus have the power of flattening the head and body

more than

in that

of Tropidonotus;

which respect they approach the Cobra de

Capello of India.t

Ann. Lye. N.

Y., vol.

iii.

p. 188.

f See anatomical part of this

work

still

for an account of this structure.

Order IV.

The many and

BATRACHIA.

Brogniart.

great differences that exist between this and the three preceding

orders of reptiles, have led several excellent herpetologists of our day to arrange
the animals
at

named Amphibia; as they are in fact,
and respire by means of gills, like fishes,

includes as a distinct class,

one time, animals that

live in water,

and at another they breathe atmospheric

air with lungs, like

mammalia.

CHARACTERS.
1.

The body
skin

soft,

depressed, round, or elongated, and with or without a

naked, or without a

shell,

tail;

the

and most commonly without apparent

scales, (ccecilia.)

The

number and proportion, or are entirely wanting. The
are destitute of nails, and are rarely provided with a horny

extremities vary in

fingers

and toes

sheath, (Datylethra.)

There

no neck

distinct

from the body, and the head

joined to the vertebra

by two condyles.
4.

There are

general three movable eyelids, and no visible external meatus of

the ear, though the

The sternum

tympanum

is distinct in

most

often very distinct.

species, but is never joined to the ribs,

are either very short or entirely wanting.

which

BATRACHIA.

72
6.

The

heart has a single ventricle, and apparently a single auricle, which

is,

however, subdivided into two chambers.
in the time
Although the order Reptilia embraced but few animals
of Linnaeus, yet the numerous discoveries of recent herpetologists of new species,
to subdivide this order into three very natural famiUes, from
made it

Remarks.

necessary

the great difference in their external forms, which

always attended with a

corresponding internal organization.

These sub-orders were well named by Oppel

Of the

first,

—Apoda, Ecaudata, and Caudata.

or Apoda, there are none in the United States.

SuB-OEDER

ECAUDATA.

II.

Oppel.

Dumeril

Bibron.

CHARACTERS.

no vestige
o of a

There

The head

tail

large and flattened; the opening of the

mouth

extensive, often

reaching behind the cranium.

The upper jaw and
little

always small,

The lower jaw

The tongue

palate bones are sometimes

developed, and are

The body

which are

nearly of the same size.

fleshy,

adherent in front, more or less movable at

its

posterior

exsertile.

and covered

smooth or warty skni,
which does not adhere to the muscles beneath, but envelopes them loosely,

teeth,

destitute of teeth.

extremity, and sometimes

all

armed with

The

short, thick,

either with a

a sack.

extremities are four in

smaller and rounded;

the

number and of unequal
posterior

are

much

length; the anterior are

larger,

flattened,

and often

palmated.

They
Vol.

are oviparous, and the eggs are

IV.— 10

commonly

united in a glairy mass, or

ECAUDATA.

mucilaginous chords, and when liatched they produce Tadpoles or animals

unhke the parents.
9.

Tadpoles have very large heads, confounded with a short, thick body, and
have long compressed tails, and breathe with gills. They undergo a complete
metamorphosis; the tail disappears and is succeeded by anterior and posterior
extremities; the gills disappear,

and

their place

supplied by lungs, &c.;
and these changes are always accompanied by alterations equally important
At first the Tadpole is aquatic
in the internal organization of the animal.

and breathes with

gills,

fish;

but after

atmospheric air only, by means of lungs.
matter, and

its

metamorphosis it respires
As a Tadpole, it lives on vegetable

a perfect animal it is
carnivorous, its food being different; the alimentary canal is now shortened
and otherwise altered in its arrangement, and it is wonderful to observe the
ease with which nature changes an herbivorous to a carnivorous animal.

The Ecaudate

its

organization

accordance; as

batrachian animals have been

arranged

two

sections.

Those without a tongue (Aglossae), of which none exist in our country; and 2.
Those furnished with a tongue (Phaneroylossae), which are very numerous, and

may

well be grouped in three families

—Ranoidea, Hyloidea, and Bufonoidea.

Family

RANOIDEA.

CHARACTERS.
There are always teeth in the upper jaw and
nares; the latter are minute, and variously grouped.
I.

II.

The

palate,

between the posterior

extremities of the fingers and toes are free, and never dilated into

a disk.

III.

The tympanum

always

visible.

are provided with vocal vesicles at the throat, communicating
out of openings at the sides of
internally with the mouth, and in some they pass
the jaws when distended, but not in others.

IV.

The males

This family embraces a great many genera, three only of which
have as yet been observed as inhabitants of the United States Rana, Cystingnathus, and Scaphiopus.

Remarks.

—

Itiino

piplfiis.

y SJJuvai

S**-t^/lt^^^

tth,':J^Htl^tl^<•

RANA
Genus Rana.

—

—Characters.

before, notched behind,

where

LinncEus.

Tongue

Diimcril

Bibroii.

large, fleshy, oblong, slightly contracted

alone movable; maxillary and palatine teeth

it is

minute, the latter placed between the posterior nares;

tympanum

distinct;

male

with two vocal vesicles either external or internal; fingers and toes sub-round, the

former

free, the latter

pahnated.

RANA

PIPIENS.—La/m7/e.

Plate XVIII.

Head

Characters.

above, yellowish-white below;

body large,
behind, with irregular black blotches; abdomen

large, green

dusky olive
yellowish-white, sometimes with dusky marks;
green

front,

extremities

dusky, with black

bars.

Stnonymes.
Bull-frog,

Rana

Bull-frog, Catcsby, Carolina, &c., vol.

Kalm,

ii.

p. 72, pi. Ixxii.

Travels, &c., Forster's translation, vol.

pipiens, Latreille, Hist. Nat.

Rept,

torn.

ii.

175.

p. 153.

Rana Catesbeiana, Shaj.v, Gen. Zool., vol. iii. p. lOG, pi. xxxiii.
Rana mugiens, Merrem, Vcrsuch eines Syst. der Amphib., p. 175.
Rana

pipiens, Cuvier, Reg. An., torn.

Rana

pipiens,

ii.

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

Rana

scapularis, Harlan,
Rana mugiens, Dumeril et Bibron,

Bull-frog, Vulgo.

loc. cit., p.

p. 106.

Res., p. 101.

103.
Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn.

viii. p.

370.

RANA

The head

Description.

PIPIENS.

very large, broader than

it is

the snout green and rounded in front; the upper jaw

with dusky marks; the throat

nent, the pupil black, the

iris

consequently large.

very large, and

The

nostrils

orbit.

The

vocal vesicles are internal, and the orifice by which the air enters them
the Eustachian tube.
spot in the centre.

are

eyes are very large and promiof a beautiful golden, reticulated with black. The

and nearer the snout than the

lateral

green, the lower white,

The mouth

clouded yellow.

the interval between the palatine teeth

long, olive above, with

under

The tympanum is large, finely bronzed, with a small yellow
The body is large and thick, smooth above, green in front,

dusky, with only a greenish tinge behind, and marked with irregular blotches of

The

dark brown.

thorax and abdomen are smooth, yellowish-white, and often

clouded with dusky.

The

anterior extremities are short, thick, dusky above, with a tinge of green,

and marked with a dark brown oblong spot at the shoulder, and a similar one
the elbow; their lower surface

yellowish-white; the fingers are four in number,

and not palmated. The posterior extremities are exceedingly
dark green above, with numerous dusky brown oblong spots, or

short, very stout,

long and large,

transverse bars, as far as the external toe.

The under

surface of the thigh

nates are yellowish-white,
yellowish-white, the posterior part granulated; the
mottled with black; the under surface of the leg is silver-white; there are five
long, but stout, fully pahnated toes; these, as well as the fingers, increase in size

at their tips.

little

Dimensions.
inches.

This

the largest of our frogs, reaching even to the length of 21

Dimensions of the individual from which the accompanying figure was
Length of body, 5 inches; of thigh, 2 inches 3 lines; of leg, 2 inches 4

taken:

—

lines;

of tarsus and toes, 3 inches 5

Habits.
in general

season, at

lines:

total,

13 inches.

and
Bull-frogs are found about stagnant ponds or sluggish rivers,
in their habits, only collecting together in the breeding
are
solitary

which time hundreds

may be

seen in some small pond, and then the croak

RANA

PIPIENS.

Uttered by the males

can be heard on

evenings at the distance of half a mile.

still

so loud as to resemble the distant roaring of a bull, and

During the day

they are generally quiet, and only begin their noise at the approach of twilight,
or in dark cloudy weather.

They cannot
immersed

be said to abound, but are found

in water, or

commonly enough

on the banks of ponds, waiting

Rana

they leap suddenly into the water, like the

for their prey.

sitting half

If alarmed,

and Rana halecina;

fontinalis

them, they do not conceal themselves at once, but frequently skim
along the surface for several yards before they dive below it.
but, unlike

our frogs; indeed, I have known them to live
in wells for years, where they could not rest a moment on solid ground above the
water, consequently they are among the best swimmers of the tribe; and for this
their organization is perfect
the thighs and legs are very strong and muscular,

They

are the most aquatic of

all

—

and the broad palmated foot makes an excellent paddle.

They

are also exceedingly active on land, and leap to a great distance;

Kalm

gives an amusing story of one that beat a swift running Indian at a "foot race."

They

feed

on various

insects,

and the smaller animals that

species of crawfish, (Astacus Blandingii,)
the

stomach of a large

found their stomachs

Bull-frog;

filled

they only seize their prey

with

when

(Helix albolabris.)

alive or in motion;

readily, springing upon the bait with great avidity,

about water, as a

have found at a time

and Dr. Storer informs

snails,
it

two of which

live

that he has often

all

other frogs,

they even take the hook

when

moved gently

before them.

Geographical Distribution.
United States;

have seen

Kalm even met

with

in all the Atlantic states,

southern states; and there
as

This animal

Say observed

in Ohio.

found

almost every part of the

as far north as Quebec, in latitude 47°.

and have received specimens from the more

no doubt of

its

being in the great valley of the west,

RANA

General Remarks.
its

taining

In no one of our frogs

original specific

for 1694, simply

mentions

makes a noise something

name.

their

now

name,

that of a bull

there

difficulty in ascer-

Clayton, in the Philosophical Transactions*

like the bellowing

universally

as a large frog, "bigger than any in England, which

Catesby, whose description

name

PIPIENS.

of a bull."

very correct,

calls

the Bull-frog, under which

known, and says, "the noise they make has caused

for at a

few yards distance their bellowing sounds very much
a quarter of a mile off."

by the same name, began the confusion by referring it
to the Rana ocellata of Linnaeus, from which it is perfectly distinct; for this Rana

Kalm, though he

calls

Systema Naturae, and is easily
identified, as Linnaeus gives but a single reference. Brown's History of Jamaica;
and in his description he says, "plantae pentadactylae sub-palmata;," which
ocellata first appears in the tenth edition of the

certainly cannot apply to the Bull-frog.

of the

Rana

ocellata

and

Kalm, however,

insisting

on the

identity

Bull-frog, perhaps led Linnaeus, in the twelfth edition of

Systema Naturae, to give two other references for the animal, the Rana
halecina of Kalm, and the Rana maxima, &c. of Catesby, and never were three
frogs more distinct.
the

Gmelin, in his edition of the Systema Naturae, copies the errors of Linnaeus,
and adds another reference to Seba, whose animal is not even the real ocellata,

which

found on the seventy-fifth, and not on the seventy-sixth plate, as he

supposes.

name, pipiens, was not applied by Linnaeus to any Frog, but was
first used by Gmelin, so far as I know, and given to a very different animal, the
Water-frog of Catesby, the common Shad-frog, which had previously been

The

specific

* Vol. xviii.
p. 125.

RANA
called

Rana

as Gmelin

PIPIENS.

name

pipiens unapplied, at least so far

halecina; and this leaves the

concerned.

used by Schneider in his "Ilistoria Amphibiorum;" his whole descriphowever, refers to the halecina of Kalm, or the Water-frog of Catesby,

It is next
tion,

Latreille

was

the

first

who used

the specific

name

pipiens without synonymes, or

reference to any author, stating only that the animal

was

called, in Carolina, the

and applicable to the Bull-frog in every
particular but one: he speaks of a light-coloured vertebral line, Avhich I have never
his description

Bull-frog;

correct,

seen in any individual of this species.

Latreille separates

from the Rana

animal, and says, furthermore, that his

ocellata,

Rana

which he describes as a

pipiens

must not be mistaken

distinct
for that

of Schneider (Gmelin), which we have seen is the Rana halecina of Kalm;
consequently then to Latreille is due the merit of first definitely applying the
specific

name

pipiens to our Bull-frog.

Daudin should not have followed

example, but far from it;
he, under his Rana pipiens, gives three animals entirely distinct from each other,
and his plate makes a fourth, for it represents an Indian animal, and not the
It is singular that

American

his

Bull-frog.
^o*

N. B. Though Gmelin quotes Schneider, he does not quote the name he gives
the animal.

Vol.

IV.— 11

Ban a

lioric on en sis.
l:j'-JJu>-alJ^llhlTltllaf

•Vf^'n /uirvo--'

19.

RANA HORICONENSIS.—i7o/6rooy^.
Plate XIX.

Head

Characters.
dark bars, above

tympanum
spots,

large, snout rather pointed, upper lip light bronze, with

this is

an irregular,

indistinct,

clouded white band under the

body very robust, dark olive, with irregular black
on each side. Length, 3^ inches.

to the shoulder;

and a cutaneous

fold

The head

Description.

whole dusky green above.
palatine teeth considerable.

large, broad, with the snout rather pointed, the

The mouth is very
The nostrils are

large,

and the

lateral,

interval

between the

and nearer the snout than

The

eyes are very large, prominent, and beautiful, with the pupil
black and the iris golden, reticulated with black.
The tympanum is large,
the orbits.

bronzed, with a lighter spot in its centre. The upper lip is light bronze colour,
with dusky bars; above this is an indistinct band of bluish- white, interspersed with
black spots, which extends from near the snout, under the orbit and tympanum, to
the shoulder. The lower jaw, chin, and throat, are white.
The body is very
robust, dark

olive,

interspersed with irregular black

cutaneous fold on each
extremities; the

The

side,

abdomen

spots,

with

an elevated

of lighter colour, from the orbit to the posterior

is silver- white.

anterior extremities are stout, dusky above and white below; there are four

dusky above and beloAV. The posterior extremities are
The
greatly developed, dark olive above, marked with transverse black bars.
anterior part of the under surface of the thighs is smooth and silver-white, the
fingers, distinct, thick,

posterior

granulated and flesh-coloured; there are five toes, long, and very

palmated to the

tips,

dusky above and below.

fully

RANA HORICONENSIS.

84
Dimensions.
hnes; of leg, 1

Habits.

Length from snout to rump, 3i inches; length of
inch 8 lines; of tarsus and toes, 2 inches 2 lines.

Nothing peculiar

Geographical Distribution.
observed

It differs

frog.

The

There can be

from the Rana

the habits of the

only place where

Lake George,

at the outlet of

General Remarks.

known of

w^here I found

little

doubt that

Rana

this
it

thigh, 1 inch 8

horiconensis.

animal has been

in 1834.

this is

distinct species of

fontinalis in colour as well as in size; in the latter

approaches the Bull-frog, from which, on the other hand, it differs in
being provided with two ridges, or cutaneous folds, along the back; nor can it be
the Rana melanota of Rafinesque, as it wants the "yellow streak on the sides of
respect

the head."
is its

Another reason

be an undescribed species of frog
just at that point where the waters run

for believing this to

geographical distribution, which

north to the St. Lawrence, instead of going south to the

The name
name of that

have given

marks

beautiful sheet of

its

habitat,

Hudson

river.

Horicon being the ancient Indian

water now^ called Lake George.

-Bana
Sf'tt

am itivus

:r.sJ>ii.i^e,ZJ:n.'i:t:y

7.!V6.'J'iUu-

RANA CLAMITANS.— iJosc.
Plate

Head

Characters.

XX.

elongated, snout rather pointed, upper jaw green; body

dusky behind; throat and abdomen

slender, olive colour in front, very

silver-white.

Length, 3 inches.
Rana clamitans, Latreille,

Synonymes.

Rana

clamata,

Daudin,

Hist. Nat. des Rain., p. 54, pi. xvi.

Daudin,

Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn.

Rana

clamata,

Rana

clamitans, Bosc,

Rana

Hist. Nat. Rept., torn.

Nouv.

Diet. d'Hist. Nat., torn.

clamitans, Cuvier, Reg. An.,

torn.

Rana clamata, Harlan, Med. and Phys.

Description.

The head

viii. p.

ii.

fig.

p. 157.
2.

104.

xiii. p.

476.

p. lOG.

Res., p. 101.

elongated, and bronzed above; the snout

pointed.

The upper jaw is bright green, which colour is continued under the eye and
tympanum to the shoulder. The lower jaw is white, marked with dusky spots or
bars;

these form an indistinct band that

The mouth

large, with

two

distinct

lost

about the anterior e.xtremity.

groups of small teeth

in the palate

between

the posterior nares.

The

nostrils

fontinalis.

are

The eyes

lateral,

and rather nearer the snout than

are large and prominent, the pupil

beautifully reticulated with black,

tympanum
The body

is
is

black, the

Rana

the
iris

golden,

and has an inner margin of bright yellow.

The

very large, bronzed, with a small spot of lighter colour in its centre.
in front, and
long, slender and delicate; olive colour or bronzed

dusky, approaching to black, behind, where

it is

slightly granulated;

a cutaneous

RANA CLAMITANS.

86
fold,
is

elevated to form a ridge, begins behind each orbit, runs along the body, and

lost

near the posterior extremities.

abdomen

The

The whole

surface of the throat and

silver-white.

anterior extremities are olive above and delicate white below; there are

four fingers distinct, not palmated; and the
tubercle at certain

The

seasons.

thumb of

the male

posterior extremities

furnished with a

are very long, dusky

above, with transverse bars or blotches of darkest brown; the inferior surface of
the thighs

silver-white, the posterior half granulated;

the nates are mottled

The

inferior surface of the

black and white, the former colour predominating.
legs

white; there are five toes, well palmated, but not to their extremities,

the fourth very long.

Dimensions.
1

inch 8 lines;

Length of body, 3 inches 2 lines; of thighs, 1 inch 7 lines; of leg,
of tarsus and toes, 2 inches 2 hues: total, 8 inches 7 lines.

Habits.

The Rana

far

from which

rivers,

clamitans lives in water, or on the banks of ponds and
it

never seen.

exceedingly timid, and makes

enormous leaps from the banks into the water when disturbed, and utters, at the
same time, a short cry. Bosc says it is the most active of all our frogs, and if
once made prisoner and allowed to escape,

Geographical Distribution.

The Rana

cannot again be easily retaken.
clamitans

found in the low coun-

of Carolina and Georgia, farther north than this I have never seen it,
though Dr. Harlan says it is common in Pennsylvania. This is most probably a
tries

southern species, and reaches to the Gulf of Mexico, where
fontinalis,

which

The Rana

clamitans

was

first

neighbourhood of Charleston,
who published it under the name

in the

nicated to Latreille,

represents the

Rana

a northern animal.

General Remarks.
specimens taken

in
it

described by Bosc, from

manuscript notes commuhere bears.

&4»=-!<.-

—^

1l;iiui

y
.^

riiiitiiiHliK
J- SUmaJ/ja '/»</•'

RANA

FONTINALIS.—Leconle.

Plate

Characters.

Body above

XXL

green, with dusky spots behind; throat and

abdomen

yellow; posterior extremities dark green, with transverse dusky bars; a cutaneous
fold,

elevated into a ridge, from the orbit to the posterior extremities.

Synontmes.
Rana

Rana

flavaviridis,

Description.

fontinalis,

Leconte, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., vol.

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

The head

282.

Res., p. 103.

short, but rather pointed; the nostrils are lateral,

and nearly midway between the eyes and the snout. The eyes are very large
and prominent; the pupil is dark, with a golden iris, beautifully reticulated with
The tympanum is very large,
black, and having an inner circle of bright yellow.
bronzed, with a lighter spot near

The mouth

two groups
of small palatine teeth. The head above is bright green; the upper jaw is green,
the lower yellowish-white, with a few dusky marks.
The throat is bright yellow.

The body

elongated, but

full

its

and

centre.

large, with a

large, with

cutaneous fold elevated into a

The anterior
ridge on each side, extending from the orbit to near the thighs.
half of the body is light green; the posterior very dark green, sometimes with a
marked with dusky spots, varying in size and disposometimes seen more dusky than the one figured in this

tinge of olive, and is always
sition.

The animal

—

work, but only in cold weather the colours I have observed most brilliant when
the weather is hottest.
The inferior part of the flanks is yellowish-white, mottled
with black spots.

The

posterior half yellowish-white.

half of the

abdomen

bright

yellow;

the

RANA FONTINALIS.

The

anterior extremities are pale green

above, yellowish-white below, with

on the posterior part of the arm and fore-arm; there are
moderately long and not palmate, yellowish before and dusky

irregular dark blotches

four

fingers,

The

behind.

posterior extremities are very long, dark green above, with dusky

transverse bars or blotches; the inferior surface of the thigh

very long and well palmated toes, but not to their
the webs, are lighter above and dusky below.

length of thigh,
toes,

2 inches 5

its

inferior

pale flesh colour, with a few minute black spots; there are

five

Dimensions.

yellowy with

and black; the

posterior half granulated; the nates are mottled yellow

surface of the leg

tips,

which, as well as

Length from snout to vent, Sg inches; length of head, lOg lines;
1 inch 4 lines; length of leg, 1 inch 4 lines; length of tarsus and
lines:

total length,

from the snout to the

tip

of the toes, 8 inches

lines.

The Rana

Habits.

hood of running streams;
water when disturbed.
within

its

reach — these

food

Its
it

much of

passes

its

time on land, but leaps into the

small worms, or such insects as

may come

never seizes unless they are in motion.

GEOGRAPfflCAL DISTRIBUTION.
Virginia, but I

water or the neighbour-

fontinalis inhabits springs of cold

Thc Raua

not aware of

its

fontinalis is

existence in the

common from Maine
more southern or

in the

western states.

General Remarks.
his
still

"Remarks on

Leconte

the genus

first

pointed out the characters of this animal in

Hyla and Rana."

Although he gave no description,

the characters he assigns are sufficient easily to distinguish

name, which

it;

therefore his

a very good one, as giving the habits of the animal, must be

continued.

Harlan next

calls

this

animal

Rana

flavaviridis

retained, as Leconte's has the right of priority.

—a

name

that

cannot be

RANA FONTINALIS.
It

possible that this animal

may

prove to be the

Rana

viriscens of

Kalm,
Gmelin
and
other
be
it
cannot
now
naturalists,
quoted by
although
positively
affirmed, as I have hitherto been unable to find any animal described by Kalm,
bearing this name, either in his "Travels" or in those works where many of his
is

observations were published, as the Swedish Transactions, &c.; so the specific

name given

animal by Leconte must, for the present, be used.

this

Dumeril and Bibron consider
from which, however,

tympanum

differs

smaller, the

this

IV.— 12

clamitans,

shorter and rounder, and the colour, as well

as geographical distribution, are very different.

Vol.

Rana

having the head shorter and less pointed; the

body

animal as identical with the

Raxia halecina.
{JriS/iinf

I?} ./

rs Ui/taV, /.I//I ///.?<"'

1/ /it,/irrref

22.

RANA HALECINA.—A'a/m.
Plate XXII.

Body green above, with ovate

Characters.

spots of dark brovs^n, margined

with yellow; yellowish-white beneath.

Synonymes.

Rana

aquatica; Water-frog, Catesby, Carolina, &c., vol.

halecina, Kahii, Iter.

Amcr.,

torn.

iii.

Gmelin, Syst. Nat.,

pipiens,

torn.

iii.

pipiens,

Rana

halecina,

Rana

pipiens,

Rana

pipiens, Merrem, Versuch eines Syst. der Amphib.,

Rana

utricularia,

Daudin,

Rainettes, p. 63

Shaw, Gen.

Zool., vol.

278.

1052.

Rana

Bonnaterre, Erpetologie,

tab. 70.

p. 46.

Shad-frog, Bartram, Travels in Carolina, Florida, &c.,

Rana

ii.

p. 5, tab. 4, fig. 3.

—

iii.

Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn. viii. p. 122.

p. 105.
p.

175.

60.

Rana

halecina,

Harlan, Silliman's Journ., vol. x. p.
Harlan, Med. and Phys. Res., p. 102.

Rana

palustris,

Guerin, Iconographie du Regne Animale

— Reptiles,

pi.

26; non Leconte.

Shad-frog, Vidgo.

one of our most beautiful species. The head is rather
small and pointed, with an ovate black spot on the top of each orbit: a very bright
bronze line* begins at the nose and runs to the eye; a second line of yellowishDescription.

This

white extends from the nose to the shoulder; the latter

male animal, ending

at the vocal sac.

several yellowish-white spots, the lower

This line

The upper jaw
jaw

almost white.

yellowish in the young.

less

extensive in the

dark-coloured, with

RANA HALECINA.

The
orbit

nostrils

are lateral, and placed half

The mouth

and the snout.

of small teeth.

The eyes

large,

way between

the anterior part of the

and the palate armed with two groups

are large and prominent; the pupil

black, the

iris

golden colour, with a longitudinal black band passing through it. The
tympanum is large, and finely bronzed, with a yellowish spot on its centre. In the

brilliant

male, the skin at the angles of the
vesicle

on each

The

mouth

loose and folded over the vocal

side.

superior surface of the body

bright yellowish-green,

marked with ovate

are disposed in two
spots of dark olive, margined with bright yellow: these spots
rows on the back, and in two others less distinct and less extensive on the sides.
the posterior part of each orbit runs an elevated line or cutaneous fold, of a
of the body. The inferior
bright yellow, terminating near the posterior extremity

From

surface

The

silver-white at the throat,

and yellowish-white on the abdomen.

anterior extremities are bronze-green above,

marked with

several blotches

very regularly found at the elbow; their inferior
The fingers are four in number, and distinct; the thumb of the
surface is whitish.
male animal is furnished with a tubercle. The posterior extremities are very long,

of dark

olive,

one of which

bright green above,

marked with dark

olive oblong blotches

and transverse bars;

at the posterior
pale flesh-colour and quite smooth, except
The toes are five in number, and well
it is
granulated.
part of the thigh, where
as in the Bull-frog; the fourth is of great length.
but not to their

the inferior surface

palmated,

tips,

2 lines; of
Length of body from the snout to the vent, 3 inches
inch 7 lines; of the leg, 1 inch 8 lines; of the tarsus and toes, 2 inches

Dimensions.
the thigh, 1

lines.

perhaps the most widely
distributed of all the Frogs of the United States, and may be regarded as the
I have
of Europe.
representative of the Common Frog (Rana esculenta)
observed it in all the Atlantic states, from the White Mountains of New Hamp-

Geographical Distribution.

The Rana

halecina

RANA HALECINA.
Leconte has seen

shire to Georgia:

the

Wabash, and Say even
This

Habits.

when

is
it

disturbed;

the

Woods,

in lat. 49°.

a Uvely, active animal, leaping the distance of eight or ten feet
feeds on insects, and is commonly found in damp places, or on

but I have frequently
in

the south-western states; Lesueur on

Lake of

at the

Bosc says

the margins of pools of fresh water.

was abundant,

met with

seldom seen

it is

meadows and

clover fields,

search of insects, at a great distance from

The

General Remarks.

far

its

from water;

when

the

dew

accustomed haunts.

Frog is a good deal obscured by
the works of naturalists; yet by taking

history of this

reference to very dissimilar animals in

made

Catesby certainly first described
the Rana halecina under the name Water-frog, and accompanied his description
the earlier descriptions,

may

clear.

with a very good figure.

The

next mention

made

of this animal

accurate observer, and excellent naturalist,
believed

to be identical with the

Rana

by Kalni,* a Swedish

who

called

traveller,

the Shad-frog,

occllata of Linnaeus.

and

has described

appears in Pennsylvania in the spring of the year with
the shad and herring, and hence the Swedes who settled on the Delaware called it
its habits,

observing that

hoppetosser," or herring hopper: in his "Travels" it is called Rana halecina,
"halec" being an Indian name for shad or herring. LimiiEust probably considered
"Sill

the

Rana

ocellata, to

halecina, from Kalm's description of

which

it,

than twice the size of the

Rana

halecina,

South America, and has never been found

*
•f

Kalm's Travels

certainly the

Rana

peculiar to the

in the

ocellata

West

United States.

the

North America, Forster's

Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., vol.

the

Lidies and

Linnaeus gave a

Rana maxima Americana aquatica of
Bull-frog, and entirely unlike the Rana halecina.

more remarkable reference

Catesby, which

Rana

bears but a slight resemblance; both are certainly ocellated,

but the spots are not disposed in the same manner;

still

as identical with his

356.

translation, vol.

ii.

p. 8S.

RANA HALECINA.

94
Gmelin,

in his edition

name Rana pipiens
know not, as he refers at

of the Systema Naturae, gives the

what reason and on what authority I
the same time to the original name, halecina.
Daudin separated this frog, not
only from the Rana ocellata, but from all others, and described it under the name
Rana halecina, the original one given by Kalm.
to this frog, but for

Schlegel* believes our animal to be identical with the
world, of which
in

many

it is

Rana

esculenta of the old

only the representative here, and from which

really differs

particulars:

The Rana

The head

The

halecina

the smaller animal.

larger in proportion.

toes are less extensively palmated.

There are no openings on the sides of the jaws, at the angle of the mouth,
out of which the vocal vesicles pass when distended with air, as in the Rana
4.

esculenta.

Revue Zoologique, No.

xii.

1S3S,

321.

Kana
Ou

Stortt hi

paluRlrls

rx Paval, hlth f/ur"

>ch^H^s?:i

23.

RANA PALUSTRIS.— Lecon/e.
Plate XXIII.

Body pale brown above, with two longitudinal rows of square
a dark brown colour on the back and on each flank, yellowish-white

Characters.
spots of

beneath; posterior half of the thighs bright yellow, mottled with black.

Rana

Synontmes.

Rana
Rana

pardalis,
palusti'is,

Leconte, Ann. Lye. N. Y., vol.

palustris,

Harlan, Silliman's Journ.,

Dumeril

vol. x. p. 50.

Bibron, Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn.

282.

viii. p.

356.

Pickerel-frog, Vulgo.

The Rana

a slender and delicately formed animal.
short and rather obtuse, with a dark brown spot on the top of each

Description.

The head
orbit,

palustris is

and another near the snout, with an

indistinct

The upper jaw

dark

nostrils to the orbit

of the eye.

black; the lower

white, and spotted in like manner.

the

palate

armed with

tAvo

posterior nares, less extensive in

line

extending from the

yellowish-white, spotted with

The mouth

large,

and

groups of minute teeth between the
the antero-posterior direction than in the Rana

distinct

halecina.

The

nostrils are nearly

midway between

the orbit and snout, a httle nearer

The

eyes are large and prominent, the pupil black, with the iris of a
golden colour; the tympanum is moderate, though smaller than in the Rana
the latter.

halecina;

its

colour

bronze, with a spot of a darker shade in the middle.

yellow line begins at the eye, and runs below the
anterior extremities.

tympanum

to the base of the

RANA PALUSTRIS.

The

superior surface of the body

pale brown, almost covered by oblong

square spots of veiy dark brown, arranged symmetrically in two lines along the
back: we sometimes find two of these squares confluent. A bright yellow longitudinal line, but not raised in a cutaneous fold, as in Rana halecina, begins behind

each

orbit,

each

flank,

on a

and extends to the posterior extremity of the body; below this line, on
are two other rows of square brown spots, the superior row beginning

level

with and behind the tympanum;

the inferior

row

The

frequently consisting only of small spots, disposed without order.

of the neck and abdomen

surface
part,

where the yellow

The

less regular,

inferior

yellowish-white, except at the posterior

more decided.

marked with a few

anterior extremities are short, yellowish-brown above,

very dark blotches; their lower surface is silver-white; the fingers are four in
number, free, of a light brown colour on the upper, and yellow on the lower surface.

The

posterior extremities are very long, brownish above, with transverse bands of

dark brown continued to the toes; the inferior and posterior parts of the thigh are
granulated, and of a bright yellow, with black spots; the inferior surface of the
leg and tarsus
their tips,

yellow.

The

and the fourth toe

toes are palmated, but the

web does not reach

longest.

Dimensions.

of the leg,

Length of the body and head, 2f inches; of the
I2 inches; of the tarsus and toes, 2t7 inches.

Geographical Distribution.

Maine
hmit.

to Virginia,

This animal

it is

no means confined

Hampshire,

the Connecticut.

its

to such situations, being

of the northern and eastern states.
in

in the Atlantic states

from

for the present its southern

the only one of our frogs that frequents

the neighbourhood of salt marshes, hence

New

found

which state must be considered

Leconte has observed that

tains of

thigh, ItV inches;

name

palustris.

common

have observed

It is

however by

throuahout the interior

among

the

White Moun-

Massachusetts and Vermont, and in the valley of

RANA PALUSTRIS.
The Rana

Habits.
it

seen

palustris

very similar in

its

habits to the

Rana

halecina;

generally found in the neighbourhood of ponds or rivers, yet I have often
it

in the

morning

after

General Remarks.
frog,

and established

heavy dews at a great distance from water.

Leconte
it

first

called the attention of naturalists to this

as a distinct species, under the

specific

name Rana

common

animal should have been so long
overlooked, and especially by so accurate a naturalist as Kalm: it may have been
confounded with the Rana halecina, from which it can be distinguished by the
palustris.

singular that this very

It is

more obtuse head,

the absence of cutaneous folds

of the spots, and by
Preserved

its

peculiar, strong

in alcohol this

and

animal bears

much used by

of Pickerel-frog.

Vol.

IV.— 13

different

form

and disagreeable odour.

much resemblance

but no one would confound the living animals.
delicate;

on the back, the

The

flesh

to the

anglers as bait for pike, whence

Rana

halecina,

this frog is

its

very

common name

lUuiH s\-|\'alica
{',iS/rmfir./M

/s n,„u/

/fii/i.rr,y

24.

/.>///

/////"

RANA SYLVATICA.—Leco«/e.
Plate

XXIV.

Body above pale reddish-brown, beneath yellowish-white; head
with a very dark brown stripe, extending from the snout through the eye, and
Characters.

including the

tympanum.

Synonvmes.

Rana

sylvatica, Leconte,

Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., vol.

Rana Pennsylvanica, Harlan, Silliman's Journ.,

282.

vol. x. p. 60.

Wood-frog, Vulgo.

The

Description.

superior surface of this frog

colour, with a slight tinge of green.

very dark brown

and extends

stripe,

The head

line,

of moderate

with dark brown; the lower

armed with minute

the posterior nares.

Rana

iris

halecina.

size;

below

extending to the shoulder: a black spot

The upper jaw

at the base of the anterior extremities.

small, narrow,

The back

at the snout

The

small,

this

dark vitta

usually present

nearly white, having only a few black spots.

teeth, in

bronzed, and mottled

The

two groups between the posterior part of

nostrils are placed nearer the point of the

eyes are large, the pupil

snout than

black, and oval in shape; the

very dark brown below, but the portion above the pupil

tympanum

and pointed.

to near the shoulder, including the nostrils, the pupil, the inferior half

a yellowish-white

of a pale reddish-brown

narrow before and broader behind, begins

of the eye, and the tympanum, which

palate

golden.

The

and very dark brown.

pale reddish-brown, with

two cutaneous

folds or elevated longitu-

dinal yellow lines, often interrupted with black spots, extending from the orbit to

RANA SYLVATICA..

IQQ

The

the posterior extremity of the body.
front, greenish-white

surface

silver-white at

flanks below these lines are mottled in

and yellow near the thighs. The inferior
the throat and anterior pai't of the abdomen; yellowishthe middle,

white on the posterior part, and yellow near the thighs.

The

anterior extremities are short, coloured above like the back, with a dark

brown band running from the humerus towards the lower jaw, and another
The fore-arm is blotched, or
interrupted black line on its posterior border.
banded with dusky: the palms are more tuberculous than usual; there are four
flesh-coloured on their inferior surface. The posterior extremities
fingers, distinct,
are extremely long, coloured like the back, with regular transverse bands of

darker brown continued to the

feet;

beneath, the thigh

flesh-coloured and

smooth in front, and yellow near the abdomen.
granulated behind, white and
There are five toes, well palmated, but not to their tips, dark above and fleshcolour below. The tips of the fingers and toes are slightly enlarged and obtuse.
Dimensions.
thigh, 1 inch;

Length of the body from the snout to the vent, If inches; of the
of the leg,
inches; of the tarsus and toes, 1| inches: total length,

from the snout to the extremities of the

Geographical Distribution.
the Atlantic states, from

that they are

common

toes,

The Rana

Sf inches.

sylvatica I thought

Hampshire to Virginia, but Dr. Kirtland informs
the woods of Ohio and of Michigan.

This frog is found, though not abundantly,
northern and middle states, choosing thick forests of oak.
itself

among

the

woods of

It is active,

dried leaves, the colour of which

resembles as to be discovered with
water, which

New

Habits.

pursued, conceals

was confined

difiiculty.

In general

the

and when
so nearly

found far from

only approaches in the breeding season.

General Remarks.
memoir of Leconte,

cannot

which

find

any notice of

tiiis

frog previous

indicated under the very appropriate

the

name of

RANA SYLVATICA.

101

Harlan nearly at the same time
of it in the tenth volume of
published a detailed and satisfactory account

Rana

sylvatica,

but

not

fully

described.

Silliman's Journal.

identical with the
Schlegel supposes this animal

—

Rana temporaria of Europe,

bears a strong resemblance yet it is always a smaller animal, with the
head more pointed, and with a smaller tympanum. I am not disposed to make

which

an exception
reptile in

in favour

Europe

of this animal to the general

identical with

rule,

any one of the United States.

that there is not a

Cvstimmdius omatus
7.

'
Jf.-J}^

/^S aafa/,J,iff( ^ht/'^

103

CYSTIGNATH HS.—Wasler.
Genus Cystignathus.

—Characters.

Tongue

large, oval,

rounded behind or

and movable behind; maxillary and
two groups, between or behind posterior nares;

slightly notched, or cordiform, fixed in front,

palatine teeth minute, latter in

Eustachian tube very small; a sub-gular vocal vesicle communicating with the
mouth on each side of the tongue; tympanum very small; fingers four, toes five,
all distinct.

CYSTIGNATHUS ORNATUS.—HolbrooL
Plate

Characters.

Head

small;

XXV.

body rather short and

thick, dove-colour above,

with oblong spots of dark brown, margined with yellow; toes not palmated, and
the two outer ones united only at their base.

Description.

between the

The head

small, with a

orbits, the apex of which

broad, indistinct, triangular spot

directed backwards.

black line

extends from the snout to the orbit of the eye, including the nostrils; below this
black line is a yellowish blotch, covering most of the upper jaw. The lower

jaw

cinereous above and white below.

The mouth

armed with two groups of exceedingly minute

The

nostrils

small,

and the palate

teeth between the posterior nares.

are placed on a slight prominence.

The

eyes are large and

projecting, the pupil very dark, the iris of a golden colour.

The tympanum

CYSTIGNATHUS ORNATUS.

•

1Q4

dark coloured, and placed in a dark vitta, or blotch, which extends
from behind the orbit to within a short distance of the shoulder.

small, very

The body

short, of a delicate dove-colour above, with

two or more oblong

on each side of the vertebral line;
spots of dark brown, margined with yellow,
below these, and on each

margined with
with a smaller one above

flank, are three smaller spots, likewise

bright yellow, the anterior one being the largest; these,

the vent, form a triangle on each flank; several bright yellow spots, also disposed

a triangular form, with the apices directed forwards, are concealed by the
The inferior surface of this animal is silver-white, and except on the
thighs.

where granulated; about the throat are a few indistinct points of
black; the anterior and middle parts of the abdomen are white, with a slight
throat, every

tinge; the posterior third

The

approaches to flesh-colour.

anterior extremities are short, dove-coloured above, with a few distinct

dark bands placed transversely on the fore-arm, and a black spot at the elbow; a
black line runs from the inferior and upper part of the shoulder towards the lower
jaw; the fingers are four in number, distinct, nearly equal, and the
less inclined to turn

backwards than usual.

The

thumb seems

posterior extremities are also

rather short, dove-coloured above, with transverse bands of dark brown: on the
anterior part of the thigh are several small yellow spots; on the posterior surface

these spots are so numerous and so closely approximated, as to resemble at

view a yellow waving line.
coloured and granulated; the

The whole under

surface of the thighs

first

flesh-

inferior surface of the legs is also flesh-coloured,

with a few yellow dots; the toes are

five

number, not palmated, the two outer

ones only are united at the base.

Length of body from the snout to the
thighs, 5 an inch; of the leg, -^ an inch; of the tarsus and
Dimensions.

Geographical Distribution.

vent,

1:1-

inches; of the

toes, nearly i of

inch.

This animal has hitherto been found only

CYSTIGNATHUS ORNATUS.
South Carolina, and as yet only
between the Cooper and Ashley
Habits.

Little

resemble very

and
is
is

one

rivers,

locality,

about four miles from Charleston,

where

abounds.

can be said of the habits of

much

those of the

Rana

105

animal, but that

this
I

sylvatica.

seems to

have always found

land,

dry places, and frequently in corn-fields after light summer showers.

very lively and active, making immense leaps when pursued, and consequently
taken with great difiiculty. An individual thrown into water floated, struggling

with

its

limbs extended, as though altogether unacquainted with

swimming.

have never heard

The

General Remarks.
variety of

its

great beauty of this

to give

little

the specific

name of

remarkable for having

not altogether, destitute of a connecting web; in which respect

American

animal, the number and

several South

art

produce any sound.

spots and bars, leads
its

the

ornata.

hinder feet not palmated, the toes being very nearly,

species, forming the

agrees with

genus Cystignatlms of Wagler.

Schlegel* supposes this to be a young animal, and perhaps the young of the

Rana

sylvatica,

other has not.
in the last

cannot be, as one has the toes well palmated and the
doubtless, an adult animal, for of the many that I have seen

which
It is,

have never observed one of greater dimensions
the figure; and, besides, we have no larger frog with

seven or eight years,

than those represented in
the toes not palmated except the Cystignathus nigritus,
*

Vol.

IV.— 14

Revue

Zool.,

No.

13, 1S3S, p. 332.

•

\iSliHjrrilnK

luyiliiH

rs iiiir,i/ i.i/// fk/y

Sera ^uujr^

107

CYSTIGNATHUS NIGRITUS.— Leconte.
Plate

Characters.

Head

XXVI.

elongated, snout rather pointed, upper

lip white; body
above speckled with small white granulations; back olive-brown, with a tinge of
yellow, and an interrupted black vertebral line; beneath whitish, granulated^

extremities ash coloured above, with several transverse dusky bars or oblong
blotches.

Rana

SrNONrMES.
Rana

nigrita,

Description,
rather pointed.

nigrita,

Leconte, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., vol.

Harlan, Med.

The head

The

282.

and Phys. Res., p. 105.

elongated, and ash coloured above, with the snout
nostrils are lateral, and nearer the snout than the orbits.
is

are large and prominent, the pupil black, the iris golden above and
grey below. The mouth is rather large, and the palate is armed with two thick
groups of minute teeth, placed between the posterior nares and disposed a little

The eyes

"en chevron."

The tympanum

yellowish-white, which colour

dusky and very small. The upper jaw is
continued below the anterior extremities; above
is

an irregular black blotch, beginning near the snout, including the greater
part of the eye, and reaching to the shoulder.
this

The body

slender, olive

brown above, with a

tinge of yellow, and an

interrupted black vertebral line from the snout to the rump.

The abdomen

yellowish-white, and granulated posteriorly.

The

anterior extremities are slender, and coloured above like the back, with

CYSTIGNATHUS NIGRITUS.

108

spots and transverse bars of black, and dusky yellowish-white below; there are
four long and dehcate fingers.

The

posterior extremities are very long, and

coloured both above and below, like the anterior;

there

are five toes, not

palmated.
Dimensions.

and

toes,

Habits.

Length,

inch 6 lines; of thigh, 8 lines; of leg, 85 lines; tarsus

lines.

But

little

known of

the habits of the Cystignathus nigritus; but,

from the form of the posterior extremities and the arrangement of its toes, it
would seem to be a land animal, and closely allied with the Cystignathus ornatus.
This animal has as yet only been found in
Georgia and Carolina; Leconte observed it in the former state, and I have seen it

Geographical Distribution.

in the latter.

Leconte gave the specific name nigrita to this animal in
his "Remarks on the genus Hyla and Rana;"* and although he does not describe

General Remarks.

in detail, yet the characters

this frog

from

all

he assigns are

others, consequently his
*

Ann. Lye. Nat.

Hist.

sufficient at all times to distinguish

name must be

retained.

N. Y.,

2S2.

vol.

Sraphiopus
a/t.Stt/fte.

/i^S fU'fyj»»sA:j

solitarius.

fs
27

Out;,/ /,aA f^ftu-'

109

SCAPHIOPUS .—HolbrooL
Genus Scaphiopus.
minute teeth

—Characters.

the upper

Body

jaw and on the

short,

thick,

palate, in

swollen;

head

short,

two groups between the

though small; parotid gland small, from
Avhich a watery fluid can be pressed; posterior extremities short, stout, and muscular; leg shorter than the thigh; a spade-like horny process occupies the position
posterior nares;

tympanum

of a sixth toe, and

distinct,

used by the animal

excavating his retreat; males with a

sub-ffular
vocal sac.
&"

SCAPHIOPUS SOLITARIVS.— HolbrooL
Plate

Characters.

Back

olive coloured

XXVII.

and somewhat warty, with two

lines

of pale

yellow extending from the orbits to the vent; beneath yellowish-white.

Synonyme. Scaphiopus

Description.

The head

solitarius,

Dumeril et Bibron,

viii. p.

This singular animal approaches nearly to the toad

short, the snout obtuse.

yellowish-white.

His. Nat. des Rept., torn.

The

nostrils are

placed on a rounded prominence.

The upper jaw

473.

form.

greenish-yellow, the lower

very near the extremity of the snout, and
The eyes are large and very prominent, almost

resembling warts or excrescences; the pupil is black, the
and subdivided into four portions by two black lines.

iris

golden, very brilliant,

The tympanum

small,

SCAPHIOPUS SOLITARIUS.

110

and yellowish-green; behind the tympanum
minute jets of watery fluid can be pressed.

The back

decurved

on each flank

orbits to the vent;

many of

sizes;

Two

others, reddish or orange.

and

a small parotid gland, from which

yellowish-green, clouded with dark-brown blotches, and covered

with small warts of different

distinct

these are of a dark-brown colour;

of pale yellow extend from the
another line of the same colour, but less
lines

from the shoulder to the thigh. The inferior
yellowish-white; the abdomen dirty-white, and granulated

shorter, reaching only

surface of the throat

posteriorly.

The

anterior extremities are long, their colour yellowish-green, clouded with

a few blotches of brown on the upper surface,
approaching

The male

to flesh colour.

The

short, but

tinge

on the lower,

fingers are four in number, short and distinct.

distinguished by having the

rior extremities are

—a reddish

two inner ones black above.

The

poste-

very muscular, and have the leg conspicuously

shorter than the thigh; they are yellowish-green on the upper surface,

marked

with a few blotches and transverse bands of dark brown, and sometimes with a

few small reddish spots.

The

granulated.

moves by an imperfect

first

joint:

flesh-colour,

and

the internal

a horny spade-like process, containing a bone, which
the breadth of this process is about a line and a half,

length one line; the cutting edge

The

surface of the thighs

toes are five in number, and fully palmated.

margin of the metatarsus

its

The lower

jet black.

very delicate, and though warty or granulated after exposure, when
taken from its hole the Scaphiopus presents the etiolated appearance of a
skin

real subterraneous animal.

Length of body, 2i inches; of the
f of an inch; of the tarsus and toes,

Dimensions.

of the

leg,

carpus and fingers, nearly an inch.

thigh, rather less than an inch;

U inches;

of the fore-arm, with

SCAPHIOPUS SOLITARIUS.
Geographical Distribution.
hended.

It is

found

Its

range

more extended than

Carohna and Georgia.

from Tennessee, and Dr. Dekay has observed

I at first

Dr. Troost has sent
it

in the state

New

appre-

a specimen
York.

—

a strange animal an odd mixture of toad and frog, having
the teeth of the one, and the rudimental post-tympanal glands of the other; it
approaches, however, nearest the toad in its form and habits, as it never ventures
Habits.

This

water except at the breeding season: it lives in small holes about six inches
deep, excavated by itself in the earth, which for a long time I mistook for holes of
insects; here it resides, like the ant-lion, seizing upon such unwary insects as may
in

enter

its

dwelling.

continued rains.

never leaves

its

hole, except in the evening, or after long

shows great dexterity

making

this dwelling,

using the nates, and fastening itself by the spade-like process; at others
legs with these processes, like a shovel, and will in this

great rapidity.

In progression

leaping but feebly developed.

its

way

motions are not very

conceal

lively,

and

its

sometimes
it

uses the

itself

with

powers of

appears early in March, after the first heavy
rains of spring, and at once seeks its mate.
I have met them even in very cold
weather, with snow on the ground.

General Remarks.
phris

This animal

perhaps somewhat allied to the Cerato-

of South America, which has teeth, the posterior extremities short, and the

hind feet furnished with a movable unarmed tubercle.

The Rana

cultripes of

Cuvier* would seem to be furnished with a process more nearly resembling that of
our animal.

The animals

of the family Ranoidea delight in the sun, and may at all times be
seen sitting half emersed in water, even when his rays are the most intense.
They are all diurnal, or seek their food in the day time, with one exception only,
the Scaphiopus solitarius, which passes
feeds

on such

insects as

may

its

unwarily enter

Cuvier,

days
its

Regne Animale,

in holes

dwelling.

torn.

ii.

p. 105.

prepared by

itself,

and

113

Family

II.

HYLOIDEA.

CHARACTERS.

This family differs greatly from the last, in having the extremities of the
toes and fingers enlarged into a disk or viscous pellet, by means of which they
I.

can sustain themselves on smooth surfaces, as leaves, glass, &c. This is indeed
an important character, and influences their whole mode of existence, as it
enables them to live on trees or shrubs, or plants, where they are always found
except in the breeding season.

II.

They

differ also

surface of the belly in

openings; in

all

from the family Ranoidea again in having the inferior
general covered with small granulations, with glandular

other respects they are similar, as in the teeth, tongue, &c. &c.

This family includes several genera, two only of which have hitherto been
observed in the United States, viz: Hyla and Hylodes.

Vol.

IV.— 15

M'0^

Hvla
Mv tStofie dt\S

V^ersicolov

Cit/iotP'tiA'i.

28.

J Duya/./,//// f/if/'

115

HYLA
Genus Hyla.
slightly

—Characters.

—

Tongue

Laurenti.

elliptico-circular,

notched behind, and movable only at

its

nearly entire, or but

posterior extremity; teeth in

nares or a little before
upper jaw and palate, the latter either between posterior
or a little behind; tympanum distinct; male with a vocal vesicle; fingers four;
toes five, slightly depressed, the former free, the latter more or less palmated, and
all

terminating in enlarged disks or viscous pellets.

HYLA VERSICOLOR.— Lecon^e.
Plate

Characters.

Resembling the toad

XXVIII.

in form, but

flattened;

body

short,

from the palest ash to dark brown,
and warty
marked with several large irregular blotches of brown and frequently tinged with
shorter
green, white and granulated beneath; abdomen yellow near the thigh; leg
above; colour varying at times

than the thigh.
o

Synonymes.

Hyla

versicolor,

versicolor, Leconte,

Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y.,

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

vol.

281.

Res., p. 108.

Tree-toad, Vulgo.

Description.

a beautiful species of Hyla; its colours seeming almost
of the animal. The head is short, broad and obtuse, with a

This

to vary at the will

dark brown spot on each orbit.
spots; the lower is entirely white.

The upper jaw is brown, marked with white
The mouth is large, the tongue sub-circular,

HYLA VERSICOLOR.

116
notched, and free posteriorly;

the palate

teeth between the posterior nares,

armed with two groups

and interrupted

in the

middle

of"

minute

slightly.

The eyes are large and brilliant,
The tympanum is moderately
the pupil black, the iris of a bright golden -yellow.
The throat
large and circular, brown, surrounded by a circle of a hghter shade.

The

nostrils are rather

near the snout.

of the male becomes inflated while uttering
o

The

covered with minute warts and granugenus: its colour is changeable, passing in a

superior surface of the body

lations,

an unusual character

this

its note.

every intervening shade from dark brown to the palest
ash-colour, becoming in some parts perfectly white; it is marked with large
short

time through

irregular blotches of dark brown;

these

blotches cruciform;

animal assumes

its

and we often

between the shoulders one of

they disappear, however, almost entirely

lightest tint.

The

inferior surface

large granulations; a small portion of the sides
is

find

of the body

when

the

white, with

and posterior part of the abdomen

bright yellow.

The

anterior extremities are ash-coloured above, with a few small blotches of

brown; the fingers are four in number, cleft, and terminating in rounded pellets,
by means of which the animal adheres to smooth surfaces. The posterior
extremities are moderately long, and ash-coloured above, with a few transverse

bars of dark brown, continued even to the toes; the under surface of the thighs

granulated and yellow near the abdomen, white in the middle, and yellow near
the legs; the inferior surface of the leg

yellow, and of the foot brown.

The

toes are five in number, palmated four-fifths of their extent, and terminating in

The skin above these pellets presents quite obviously
"human nail," spoken of by Linnseus in other species.

pellets, like the fingers.

appearance of the

the

Length of the body from the snout to the vent, 2 inches; of the
thigh, nearly an inch; of the leg, tV of an inch; of the tarsus and toes, 1| inches.
Dimensions.

Geographical Distribution.

The Hyla

versicolor

found abundantly

in all

HYLA VERSICOLOR.

117

the northern and middle states, as far as lower Virginia, which state must for the

present be considered

its

limit to the

south.

distribution west of the Alleghanies;

cannot determine

its

geographical

seems however widely extended, for Lesueur observed it on the Wabash, and Professor Troost furnished me with
several fine specimens from the banks of the Cumberland river.
Habits.

This animal

commonly found on

overgrown with mosses and
that

lichens,

and about old stone fences,
the colour of which it so closely resembles

frequently escapes observation, even

trees

when sought

for.

very commonly
chooses old and decaying plum trees for its abode, probably because the insects
on which it feeds are most abundant in such situations. It is very noisy towards
evening, in cloudy weather, or before rain,

terminating abruptly, like
part of the summer,

1-1-1-1-l-l-luk.

when

the toad has

its

voice consisting of a liquid note,

the close of spring, and during great

become

silent, this

note

may

be heard,

especially in the evening, from various shallow pools, to which the animal resorts
for the purpose of depositing its

Harlan* mentions an instance of one

spawn.

at the root of an apple tree, during the winter season, several feet

being dug up
beneath the surface of the ground.

General Remarks.
give

The

vericose body of this Hyla, and

the appearance of a toad; the skin also

acrid

fluid,

given

oflf

which has

rounded shape,
moist and viscid, exuding an
its

persons to believe it poisonous; and certainly the
secretion aflbrded by the glands of the cutaneous organs is more acrid than that

It is

led

many

by any other toad or frog which

have seen

a living

state.

common and so very noisy should have
naturalists.
The first mention made of it is

remarkable that an animal so

long escaped the attention of

Kalm's "Travels
refers to

so
in

North America:" he however only describes its habits, and
the Rana arborea of Linnaeus, to which it bears but a slight resemblance.
in

Leconte was certainly the
established

its

claim to be

who minutely and accurately described
considered as a new and distinct species.
first

* Medical
and Physical Researches, p. 109.

it,

and

rf^r^
'^
-^,:•^

Hyla viridis.
Irrri

/".V Pitval, l.itfl

v:ns'
29.

119

HYLA ymmiS.—LaurenlL
Flaie

Characters.
lated;

Synonymes.

bright green, beneath yellowish-white, and granu-

from the upper jaw over the shoulder

flanks.

Green Tree-frog, Catesby, Carolina,

viridis,

Laurenti, Synops. Rept.,

&c., vol.

arborea, Ginelin, Syst. Nat. Lin., variety B. torn.

p. 174.

ii.

p. 180.

fas.

Hyla

lateralis,

Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rept, torn.

Hyla

lateralis,

Daudin,

Hist. Nat. des Rain., &c., p. 16. pi.

Hyla

lateralis,

Daudin,

Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn.

Calamita

lateralis,

Merrem, Versuch

Hyla

lateralis,

Hyla

lateralis,

Dumeril

lateralis,

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

Hyla

Description.

The head

in front, but dull

white behind.

ii.

Hist.

Y., vol.

ii.

fig.

279.

torn. viii. p.

5S7.

Res., p. 107.

short and flattened; above

green colour, as well as at the

1054.

27.

viii. p.

Bibron, Hist. Nat. des Rept.,

eines Syst. der Amphib., p. 171.

Leconte, Ann. Lye. Nat.
et

p. 42.

iii.

Calamita cinerea, Schneider, Hist. Amphib.,

p. 71, pi. Ixxi.

ii.

variety B.

p. 33,

Cinereous Frog, Pennant, Arct. Zool., vol.

Rana

(

XXIX.

lateral line of straw-colour extends

and along the

Hyla

Body above

H. e^v.^-^^^

sides; the

snout

The mouth

of a bright grass-

obtuse; the upper

moderate

it is

in size, the

jaw

tongue

is
is

green
large

and sub-cordiform, and the palate is armed with a transverse row of minute teeth
between the posterior narcs, interrupted in the middle. The nostrils are nearer

The eyes

the snout than to the orbit.

with a beautiful golden
like the

body.

iris;

The body

the
is

az-e

tympanum

stout

and prominent, the pupil dark,
small, but very distinct, and green

large
is

and depressed, of a

lively grass-green,

with

HYLA

120

VIRIDIS.

occasional spots of brightest gold colour; a pale straw-coloured line begins under
the anterior part of the orbit, runs beneath the eye and tympanum, and is continued above the shoulder along the flanks to near the posterior extremities; this

hne

partially visible

appearance.

The

on the posterior part of the upper jaw, giving

throat

yellowish-white;

the thorax silvery;

the

a whitish

abdomen

yellowish-white, and granulated.

The

anterior extremities are coloured like the body above, white below, with a

pale yellow line along the posterior border of the humerus, fore-arm, and carpus,
to the external finger; this line

becomes very

distinct only

near the elbow; there

are four fingers, palmated to about one-sixth of their length, each ending in a
rounded pellet, by which the animal can sustain itself on smooth places. The
posterior extremities are very long, and green on the upper surface; the thigh

yellow beneath, and granulated; the nates are flesh-colour, with a few dusky spots;
the leg is pale flesh-colour below, with a yellow line before and behind, which is
continued along the tarsus to the outer toe; there are
fifths

five toes,

of their length, the two external green above, the three internal dirty yellow,

each terminates

a rounded

pellet, similar to

those of the fingers.

Length from snout to vent. If inches; of
of tarsus and toes, 1 inch 2 lines.

Dimensions.

palmated to four-

lines;

Habits.

These animals are found on

trees,

thigh, 8 lines; of leg,

but most commonly about the

broad-leaved plants, as the Pontederia cordata, Nymphsea, &c.; they are also very
numerous in fields of Indian corn (Zea mais), where they conceal themselves from

enemies by passing in between the broad green leaves of the plant, the
colour of which is so nearly their own, that it is not easy to find them.
Here
their

they remain quiet and motionless during the heat of the day, but in the morning
or evening, or before a shower, they emerge from their hiding-places and become

very brisk and noisy.

Their noise proceeds from a single note, which, at a

little

distance,

not unlike

HYLA
the sound of a small

orchestra, and
cornfield,

and there seems

121

in general to

is
stops, the concert

on various

be one leader of their

up from all parts of the
at an end, until he again begins.

raises his note, hundreds take

when he

and when he

feed

They

bell;

VIRIDIS.

insects, especially the

common

fly,

which they

seize with

a foot or more to secure it. At certain seasons they
great adroitness, leaping
may be seen on the ground on their way to pools of water; they are then exceedat times eight or ten feet.
ingly active, leaping

Geographical Distribution.

its

northern limit of the Hyla

the_ Atlantic coast, as the

throuo-h Georgia, Florida

For the present we must

and Alabama

set

viridis;

to Mississippi, but I

down

latitude 33°,

thence

extends

have no evidence of

existence further west.

General Remarks.

The

first

notice of the

Hyla

viridis,

now under

considera-

the Green
Catesby's History of Carolina, &c.; he there calls it
its habits, accompanied with
Tree-frog, and gives a very good detailed account of
tion,

a tolerably accurate drawing.
Linnseus seems to have regarded this animal as a variety of the

common Rana

arborea, which he says, incorrectly however, inhabits both Europe and America.

found in the Synopsis Reptilium of
He called the
Laurenti, who first separated the genus Hyla from that of Rana.
of Catesby as
Tree-frog of Europe "Hyla viridis," and considered the Tree-frog
a variety under the same name. Now, the specific name of viridis cannot be

The

next account of the Hyla viridis

used for the Tree-frog of Europe, inasmuch as Linnaeus and other naturalists had
name
previously imposed upon it that of arborea; and this leaves the specific

and consequently it may be used for our animal, as given it by
Laurenti, who seemed to consider it as very distinct from the common Tree-frog

viridis unapplied,

of Europe; nor can there be any doubt of his meaning, for he refers expressly to
Catesby's seventy-second plate of the second volume, saying, "Corpore tereti,

Vol.

IV.— 16

HYLA

122
linea, utrinque flava, sed

VIRIDIS.

recta, distinguitur clamore, tschit, tschit, tschit,

dum

nostro (Hyla arborea) clamat ra-ra-ra."*

The

next account of the Hyla viridis

supplement to Pennant's Arctic
Zoology, where it is described as the Cinereous Frog, with a white line along the
flanks; the green colour doubtless had become cinereous, owing to the action of
alcohol on the specimen which he examined.
is

in the

Gmelin, in his edition of the Systema Naturae, goes back to the opinion of
Linnfcus, and considers the Hyla viridis as only a variety of the Rana (Hyla)
arborea; but he adds a reference to Catesby.

a variety of his Calamita arborea, though he says, "non
solum linearum diversa disectio, sed vox etiam distinguit."
Schneider also calls

Bosc observed the
account of

and gave a detailed and accurate
and Daudin, under the name Hyla lateralis, which was

living animal in Carolina,

to Latreille

afterwards published in their respective works. This name, however, cannot be
retained in this work
that of Hyla viridis having the right of priority.

—

Laurenti, Synops. Rept., p. 33.

^d'

Hyla
&Tt Sione. 6j

sqiiirella.
f.S

J^ (^i/sen

30.

DuniJ

/-//* /////»

123

HYLA SQUIRELLA.—5osc.
XXX.

Plate

Characters.

Body

above, marked

olive-green

with

dark

brovi^n blotches,

dusky band between the orbits; whitish beneath
with a white line extending along the upper lip to the

irregularly disposed; a transverse

and granulated; head

short,

shoulder.

SvNONYMES.

Hyla

Daudin,

squirella,

Rainettes, p. 18,

— Hist. Nat.

des Rept,

torn. viii. p. 34.

Calamita squirella,

Merrem, Versuch

eines Syst. dcr Amphib., p. 171.

Hyla

squirella,

Leconte, Ann. Lye. N.

Hyla

squirella,

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

Y.,

a-oI.

279.

Res., p. 107.

Auletris squirella, JFagler, Natiirlich. Syst. der Amphib., p. 201.

Hyla

squirella et femoralis,

Description.

The head

Dumeril

Bibron, Hist. Nat. des Rept,

short, with a dark

torn. viii. p.

band between the

5S9.

orbits, the line

from each orbit being directed backwards, so as to meet at an angle; the snout is
obtuse, with an indistinct dark band extending from the nostrils to the eyes, below
which is a white line along the margin of the upper lip, reaching to the shoulder;
almost white. The mouth is large; the tongue large, sub-circular,
notched
The palate is armed with a transverse row of
slightly
posteriorly.
between
the
teeth,
posterior nares, largely interrupted in the middle.
the lower

jaw

and

The

nostrils are placed

the pupil black, the

iris

near the extremity of the snout; the eyes are prominent,

golden; the

surrounded by an indistinct

circle

tympanum

of dark brown.

moderate, bronzed, circular, and

HYLA SaUIRELLA.

J24

smooth; the body short and depressed while hving; the back is
ohve-brown, with irregular blotches of darker olive; the flanks are grey. The
inferior surface of the body is granulated, greenish- white in front, with a few dark

The

skin

of the
spots at the throat; the posterior part

The

abdomen

darker.

anterior extremities are olive-brown above, with occasional dusky spots,

and flesh-coloured beneath; the

fingers are four in number, distinct,

and each

arc long, greenish
terminating in a viscous pellet. The posterior extremities
above, obscurely blended with dark brown, and flesh-coloured beneath, tinged with

yellow externally; the lower surface of the thigh

granulated; the toes are five in

number, and semi-palmated.

Length of body and head, IJ inches; of the
T of an inch; of the tarsus and toes, to of an inch.

Dimensions.

of the

leg,

Geographical Distribution.

Its

most northern

limit

thigh, | of

an inch;

must be considered as

being found farther north. It abounds
how far west of these states it may
in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida;

latitude 34°, as I

exist

have no evidence of

its

—

cannot at present be determined.

Habits.

This animal

found on trees, often seeking shelter under the bark
frequently chooses old logs for its place of hibernation.

of such as are decaying; it
Often I have found it about old houses, and under logs and boards.

General Remarks.

The

colours of this animal are even

—

more changeable

any species with which I am acquainted I have seen it pass in a few
moments from a light green, unspotted and as intense almost as that of Hyla
lateralis, to ash-colour, and to a dull brown with darker spots; the spots also at
than

times taking on diflerent tints from the general surface. The markings, too,
vary exceedingly in diflferent individuals, the white line on the upper lip and the

band between the

orbits alone are constant.

Daudin remarks that the leg

IIYLA SQ.UIRELLA.
"shorter than the thigh;"

character

Daudin

have found them nearly equal

by no means so conspicuous as

first

125

Hyla

and

this

versicolor.

from a drawing
and most detailed account

described this animal, and gave a figure of

him by Bosc.

in length,

Lecontc has given the latest
of it, establishing three principal varieties, in one of which the spots, as well as
the yellow on the thighs, disappear altogether.

furnished

^^
i^-:--^

1 1

J /J flt^Aanf

i/c/

via

fern or alts.

nuva/

f,ujr

//lU'

127

HYLA FEMORALIS.— Z)«»(Z/«.
Plate

Head

Characters.

XXXI.

somewhat

small,

obtuse;

body cinereous, marked with

darker spots or blotches; a triangular blotch between the eyes; abdomen whitish,
granulated; thighs dusky on their posterior part, and marked with seven or eight
bright yellow spots, nearly in a line.

Synonymes.
Hyla

Hyla

femoralis,

Dandin,

Hyla

femoralis, Leconte,

Hyla

femoralis,

Hist. Nat. des Rain., &c., p. 19, pi.

Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn.

Ann.

viii. p.

Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., vol.

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

The head

Description.

Duudin,

fig.

32.
i.

280.

Res., p. 107.

rather small,

and somewhat obtuse

cinereous, with a large triangular dusky spot between the orbits;

The mouth

iii.

at the snout,

its

apex behind

moderate, and the palate is armed with two groups
of minute teeth, placed between the posterior nares. The nostrils are lateral, and
nearer the snout than the orbit. The eyes are large and prominent, with a black

and truncated.

and a golden iris, finely reticulated with brown.
The tympanum is of
moderate size, and olive-brown in colour. The body is rather slender, cinereous
above, and marked with large dusky blotches, without any constant and determipupil

nate form.

The

The abdomen

pale white, and granulated at

posterior part.

anterior extremities are short, cinereous, with dusky spots above and dirty

white below; there are four toes, distinct, each terminating

The

its

posterior

transverse bars

of the thighs

extremities

are well developed, cinereous

a bulb.

above, with dusky

and milky-white below. The under surface
granulated; the posterior is dusky, and marked with six or eight

more or

less distinct,

HYLA FEMORALIS.

128

sub-triangular spots of brightest yellow, arranged without order, but nearly in a

There are

line.

five

toes, semi-palmate,

and each terminating

a disk, like the

fingers.

Total length,

Dimensions.

This

Habits.
it

animal

little

chooses trees for

its

inch 6 lines.

deep forests of Carolina and Georgia;
sometimes found even thirty feet from the

lives in the

residence, and

ground, feeding on such insects as choose the same

Geographical Distribution.

localities.

have never heard of the existence of the Hyla
femoralis out of Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, though doubtless it may exist
I

along the northern borders of the Gulf of Mexico.

General Remarks.

Bosc was the

first

naturalist that observed this

animal, and he sent a very good description of

name

little

to Latreille, under the specific

Daudin next gave
"Histoire des Rainettes," and

femoralis, from the bright yellow spots along the thighs.

a good description but a sorry plate of it in his
Leconte finally gave a more detailed account in the

New York Lyceum of Natural

History.

Dumeril and Bibron consider

from which

It is

2. Its

Hyla

however, perfectly

about two-thirds the

animal as identical with the Hyla

lip,

squirella,

distinct:

size.

general colour and markings are different; there

the upper
the

it is,

this

and the yellow spots on the thigh always

no white

exist there,

line

along

and never

femoralis.

3. It differs in habits

in old fields.

—

for

it is

never found near out-houses, or about fences and

v^^'-*

Ihla

dehtescens.
AJ'

JM T:ii/i-ari/ ,ffi
32

/Jni'ri/J.ii>i,Fhj/

129

HYLA DELITESCENS.—LccoM/e.
Plate

Head

Characters.

XXXII.

short; snout rather rounded;

body above cinereous, with

dusky spots, smooth; abdomen granulated, yellowish-white;
surface of anterior and posterior extremities yellow.
irregular

Synontmes.

Hyla

delitescens,

delitescens, Leconte,

The head

Description.

Ann. Lye. Nat.

Harlan, Med. and Phys.

short,

Hist.

Y., vol.

inferior

281.

Res., p. 108.

somewhat obtuse

in front, cinereous,

with a

few irregular black spots above, and the lips are speckled white and brown. The
mouth is rather large, and the palate is armed with two groups of minute teeth,
placed on a line with the posterior nares. The nostrils are rather near the snout.

The eyes
The body
irregular

The
on

are large and prominent, with a black pupil and a bright golden
rather robust, cinereous above, though variable, and

dusky

spots.

The abdomen

iris.

marked with

yellowish-white, and granulated.

anterior extremities are coloured like the back above, but below, especially

their posterior part, they are bright yellow.

a bulb or viscous

The

There are four

fingers, free,

each

posterior extremities are well developed,

ending
pellet.
coloured above like the back, but below they are of a bright yellow, and granulated
The toes are five, semi-palmated, and terminate each in a bulb.
posteriorly.
Dlmensions.

Habits.

Vol.

Length, \\ inches.

The Hyla

IV.— 17

delitescens is an inhabitant of Georgia;

lives in the

HYLA DELITESCENS.

130
forest,

and

most commonly found under the bark of dead

trees.

feeds

insects.

Geographical Distribution.
in

Georgia.

General Remarks.

Leconte

It is closely allied in form,
is

Hitherto this httle animal has been observed only

much

first

observed and described the Hyla delitescens.

and somewhat

in colour, to the

smaller animal, and the skin of the back

Hyla

smooth.

versicolor, but

^^^^i^'

Hylodes ^ryllaa.
3a

131

HYLODES
Genus Hylodes.

—

—Characters.

Fitzhi^cr, non

Mouth

cord form tongue, free and movable in
i

its

Dumeril

large,

Bibroti.

and furnished with a large sub-

posterior half; teeth in the superior

maxillary and palate bones, the latter in two groups between the posterior nares;
tympanum visible; extremities slender, tips of fingers and toes terminating in
slightly

developed tubercles.

HYLODES GRYLLUS.— Lecon/e.
Plate

Characters.
orbits;

Head

XXXIII.

elongated, pointed, a triangular dusky spot between the

body above cinereous, with a green, or sometimes

three oblong black spots, margined with white on the sides.

red, vertebral line,

Length, 18

and

lines.

Savannah Cricket, Bartram, Trav., &c., p. 378.
Rana gryllus, Leconte, Ann. Lye, Nat. Hist. N. Y., vol. i. p. 282.

Synonymes.

Rana

gryllus,

Rana

dorsalis,

Acris gryllus,

Harlan, Med. and Phys.
Harlan,

loc. cit, p. 105.

Dumeril

The head

Res., p. 104.

Eibron, Hist. Nat. des Rept.,

torn. viii. p. 507.

elongated and rather pointed at the snout, greenish
above, with a black triangular spot between the orbits of the eyes, with its apex
Description.

backwards.

The mouth

large,

and the palate

armed with two

thick groups

of minute teeth, situated on a line with the posterior border of the posterior nares,

and widely separated.

HYLODES GRYLLUS.

132

The nostrils
The eyes are

are lateral, and nearly

midway between

and prominent, the

large

pupil black, the upper half of the iris

The upper jaw

brightest golden, the lower black.

the orbits and the snout.

dusky, with a yellowish-

white line from the posterior and inferior border of the orbit to the

axilla.

The

chin and throat are yellowish-white.

The body

much

elongated, slender, and dusky above, with a vertebral line of

bright green, or sometimes reddish-bro^vn, which bifurcates at the occiput and

runs to the superior part of the orbits of the eyes.
line

each side of

are two or three large oblong spots, with white margins.

grey; the thorax and

The

abdomen are

this vertebral

The

flanks are

silver-white.

anterior extremities are small and delicate, dusky above, with a black

blotch near the elbow; beneath they are clouded white; there are four fingers,

very delicate, and slightly developed at the extremities. The posterior
extremities are very long, dusky above, and barred with black; the lower surface
distinct,

dirty flesh-colour;

extremities

still

Dimensions.

and

there are

five

toes,

long,

and

fully

webbed, with their

more rounded and developed.
Length,

inch 6 lines; of thigh, 7 fines; of leg, 8 lines; of tarsus

toes, 1 inch 1 fine.

Habits.

This

confinement;

a merry

little

frog, constantly chirping like

frequents the borders of stagnant pools, and

a cricket, even in
often found on the

of aquatic plants, and rarely on the branches of such low shrubs as
overhang or dip in the water. It feeds on various kinds of insects, and makes

leaves

immense leaps

to secure its prey, or to
escape its pursuers.

domesticated, and takes

months

its

food readily from the hand;

can easily be

have kept several

for

a glass globe on a few sprigs of purslain, (portulacca oleracea,)
Their chirp, at times, was incessant, and
feeding them occasionally with flies.
sprinkling them with water never failed to render them more lively and noisy.
in

HYLODES GRYLLUS.
Geographical Distribution.

The Hylodes

I33

gryllus

coast from latitude 43° to the Gulf of Mexico, and

found on the Atlantic

very abundant

Carolina

and Georgia; but as yet I have no evidence of its existence west of the Alleghany
mountains.

The

GeiNeral Remarks.

first

notice of this animal

Travels in Carolina and Florida; he

calls

the

found in Bartram's

Savannah Cricket, and gives a

This animal forms a good connecting link
between the genus Rana and Hyla, and seems to partake of the habits of both, for
though it likes Avater at all times, yet it may be found on aquatic plants waiting
tolerable account of

much

leaves,

manners.

has the power of adhering to smooth surfaces like the Hylse,
less perfectly, as it can never sustain itself on the under surfaces of

for its prey;

but

and

its

&c.

For the present
Fitzinger:

for 1.

The

slightly swelled at the

disposed to arrange this animal with the Hylodes of

extremities are slender, with the fingers and toes only
tips;

and, 2. It cannot belong to the genus Rana, as

wants a bony sternum, &c.*
Dumeril and Bibron have established a new genus, Acris, for the reception of
this animal and the Cystignathus nigritus; but I see no reason for removing it
from that of Hylodes, especially as thier genus is characterized by having the toes
free.

See the Anatomical part of

this

work.

ll\

lodfj!

I'K'kerin^ii

•raSichard, del

34.

P iSJ>iil'al, Lu/l PlUf

135

HYLODES PICKERINGIL— //o//;raoyl.
Plate

Characters.

Head

rhomboidal spots, and
cross;

abdomen

Description.

body yellowish-brown, with
of same colour, sometimes arranged

rather short;
lines

pale flesh-colour; throat tinged with yellow.

The head

small, dusky,
in

form of a

Length, \\\

lines.

short, yellowish-brown above, with the snout rather

notched posteriorly. The palate
armed with two groups of exceedingly minute teeth in a range with the

The tongue

pointed.
is

XXXIV

large, long,

and

slightly

posterior nares.

The
dusky

nostrils are lateral,
line

extending from each to the eye.

and the

the pupil

snout

pale yellow;

and nearer the snout than the

black,

iris brilliant

the body

The eyes

orbit,

with an indistinct

are large and prominent;

gold colour, with a tinge of green.

short and delicately formed, fawn

marked with small rhomboidal dusky spots and

lines

The

colour,

of the same colour, which

sometimes arranged in a cruciform manner; one line is at times very
and extends from the back of the orbit to the flanks; the abdomen is

latter are
distinct,

pale flesh-colour.

The

anterior extremities are coloured like the back, and

dusky bars, and terminate

four distinct fingers;

marked with transverse

these, as well as the bulbs at

the tips, are proportionally less developed than in the genus Hyla; the posterior

extremities are long, with five toes, palmated, and terminating like the fingers in

small bulbs.

HYLODES

136
DijfENsioNs.

length of leg,

Habits.

PICKERINGII.

Length of head and body, llj lines; length of
5j hnes; length of tarsus and toes, 9j lines.

The Hylodes

though at times

most commonly found on the ground,
waiting for its prey on the leaves of shrubs and

Pickeringii is

have seen

plants growing near

the water, as Cephalanthus occidcntalis,

momea, &c.

on small

It feeds

thigh, 5| lines;

insects, as flies,

Geographical Distribution.

This animal

Osmunda

cinna-

&c.

found

Massachusetts, and

particularly abundant, according to Dr. Pickering, in the vicinity of Salem.

Dekay and Mr. Cooper have observed
the

Museum

of the

Academy

New York,

and there

Dr.

a specimen in
of Natural Sciences, found in the neighbourhood of
it

Philadelphia.

General Remarks.
this

Dr. Pickering several years since called

animal as one undescribed, and to him

attention to

have dedicated the species.

seems hitherto to have been confounded by some naturalists with the Hyla
squirella, from which it may at all times be distinguished, by the absence of the
white line reaching along the upper

marking about

its

back; by

its

lip to

the fore-shoulder;

smaller size; by

its

tionably developed; and by the wide difference in

Others again have considered
which, however,

by the

difference of

extremities being less proporits

geographical distribution.

a remarkable variety of the Hyla versicolor, from

specifically distinct, never reaching half the size of that

animal, and never having the skin granulated.

Hylodes ooularis.
J'.\J>,t:-ui

35.

Xi^':PfiU^

is:

H YLODES OCULAR IS.—Ho/brook.

Plate

Characters.

Head

long;

XXXV.

snout pointed; upper jaw white, which colour

continued to the anterior extremity, above this a black band runs

over the

shoulder and terminates on the flanks; body short, chestnut-brown or bronzed;

abdomen

yellowish-white.

large,

The head

and the snout pointed; the mouth is
and the palate armed with two groups of minute teeth placed between the

Description.

long, narrow,

posterior nares.

The

nostrils are lateral,

and rather nearer the snout than the

orbits.

The

eyes are small, but prominent, the pupil black, and the iris grey, with a tinge of
red.
The upper lip is white, and this colour is continued in a line to the axilla;

above

a black blotch, which begins very narrow and becomes broad under
passes over the shoulder, and there terminates. The chin and throat is

this is

the orbit,

yellowish-white.

The body

small, elongated

and

delicate, uniform chestnut-brown

coloured above, and yellowish-white below.

The

anterior extremities are small,

brown above, and clouded-white below; there are four
slightly enlarged at their tips.

The

fingers,

distinct,

and

posterior extremities are very long, reddish-

brown above, barred with dusky, and obscure white below; there are
webbed, and enlarged
Vol. IV.— 18

or bronze-

at their extremities.

five

toes,

HYLODES OCULARIS.

l^Q
Length, 11

Dimensions.

thighs, 3j lines; leg, 3A lines;

tarsus and toes,

lines.

This beautiful

Habits.
I

lines;

the

acquainted,

little

animal, the smallest of the frog kind with which

closely allied to the

same damp places

for its abode,

and

of such low shrubs as inhabit the same

and

the Hylodes gryllus, too,

surfaces,

Hylodes gryllus

its

habits, choosing

not unfrequently found on the leaves

localities, as the

has

the

myrtle (Myrica cerifera);
power of adhering to smooth

though not so perfectly as the Hylse.

Geographical Distribution.
present, be given as the

be found to have a

abode of the Hylodes

much wider

General Remarks.

South Carolina and Georgia can only,

for the

ocularis, although doubtless

will

range.
•a^

have chosen the

specific

name

Ocularis for this animal,

from the black spot along the eye; and this has been done the more willingly, as
it is
possible this animal may in the end prove to be the Hyla ocularis of Bosc

and Daudin, which Leconte thinks, however, is most probably only a variety of the
Hyla squirella; and yet, as this animal is not unfrequently found on low bushes,
or leaps upon them
it

supposed

when

pursued,

to be a real Hyla.

Should

is
it

not impossible that Bosc might have

then turn out to be the Hyla ocularis of

Bosc, an additional synonyme will be saved; but if it is an undescribed animal,
which I believe, then the denomination Hylodes ocularis is well enough, as it
belongs to another genus.

The members

of this genus, like those of the

or seek their food by daylight.
brighter

its

rays, the

They

all

last,

are

all

diurnal in their habits,

delight in the heat of the sun,

more merry and noisy are

they.

They

are

all

and the

found near

water, or in darkish places, like the Ranoida, but are never observed sitting half

immersed
pursued.

it,

though they

will

conceal themselves by diving to the bottom

when

ERRATA.
Vol.

IV., p.

—

fourth line from

bottom, for "Coluber" read

Helicops."

—eighth hne from
64 —
from
—
64
from bottom,
74 —
from bottom,

" the"
top, for

"
lateral"
top, for

fourth line

"
"

for " are"

ninth line

fourth line

116

—

read "

for

this.-'

read " labial."
read "

is."

•'

PhaneroyglosscE"

read " Phaneroglossce."
"
eighth line from top, for unusual" read "usual.\

SYNONYM ES.
Leptophis

57 read Plate 47, Catesby.
page 39 read page 59, Fitzinger.

asstivus, p. 17, for Plate

Leptophis sauritus,

p. 21, for

Tropidonotus ordinatus,

p. 45, for

page 38 read page 58, Fitzinger.

HYLODES OCULARIS.

138
Length, 11

Dimensions.

tarsus and toes,

thighs, 3 1 lines; leg, 3| lines;

lines.

This beautiful

Habits.
I

lines;

the

acquainted,

same damp places
the

animal, the smallest of the frog kind with which

closely allied to the

of such low shrub= °=

and

little

for its abode,
'i^'^^'"*

Hylodes gryllus

and
'

its

habits, choosing

not unfrequently found on the leaves
j

^^•--

surfaces, though

Geographical
present, be given

be found to have

General Rema
from the black
it is

spi

possible this

and Daudin, which

Hyla

squirella; ar

or leaps upon the

supposed it to be
Bosc, an additional synonyme will be saved; but if it is an undescribed animal,
which I believe, then the denomination Hylodes ocularis is well enough, as it
;

belongs to another genus.

The members

of this genus, like those of the

or seek their food by daylight.
brighter

its

rays, the

They

all

last,

are

all

diurnal in their habits,

delight in the heat of the sun,

more merry and noisy are

they.

They

are

all

and the

found near

water, or in darkish places, like the Ranoida, but are never observed sitting half

immersed
pursued.

it,

though they

will

conceal themselves by diving to the bottom

when