1999 Asiatic Herpetological Research Vol. 8, pp. 18-24

The Dates of Publication of Amphibian and Reptile Names by Blanford and Stoliczka in the Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal

INDRANEIL DAS

Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Present address: Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Consen'ation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samaralian, Sarawak, Malaysia, email: [email protected]

Abstract.- The dates of publications of the Proceedings and the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal are discussed. Several names of amphibians and reptiles were proposed, along with brief descriptions, by W. T. Blanford and F. Stoliczka in the monthly Proceedings before their intended formal description in the Journal, in some cases, a year before. These earlier publications constitute formal descriptions according to the Code of Zoological Nomenclature. A listing of two genera (one amphibian and one reptile) and 24 species (three amphibians and 21 reptiles) is appended; the type localities include Turkmenistan, Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Key words.- Amphibians, reptiles, dates of publication. Proceedings and Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

Founded in 1784 by the Orientalist, Sir William Jones to the information on the cover page, as opposed to (1746-1794; see Cannon, 1960, for a biographic and separate from the more widely circulated Journal, sketch), the Asiatic Society of Bengal, with its head- which was published only once in two to three months quarters in Calcutta, has played, according to a report (Mitra, 1885). As mentioned on an untitled page of in Nature at the turn of the century, "...a leading part the first issue, the separation of the Journal (which in the exploration of the natural history, philology, was issued in a "new series" between 1905 and 1934, antiquities, and other branches of scientific inquiry when the Proceedings was reunited with the Journal) connected with the East" (Anonymous, 1907). from the Proceedings was "In accordance with the Although Jones himself was opposed to the collection announcement of the Council in the Annual Report of zoological specimens (Bose, 1885), examples of read at the Annual General Meeting held on the 1 1th both plants and animals did start to arrive from vari- January, 1865" (Blanford and Heeley, 1865). Each ous parts of the British Indian Empire, and occasion- fascicle of the Proceedings comprised 10-30 pages, ally from outside. Coupled with the expeditions and contained reports of the progress of the Society, organized or participated in subsequently by the staff including financial statements, additions of books to of the Museum of the Society, the Asiatic Society of the library and coins to the Society's numismatic col- Bengal came to acquire one of the most important lection, exhibition notices, correspondence from its zoological reference collections in the world, which, members and lists (and losses) of members, and also, after the passing of the Museum Act in 1 866, came to "short notes, which were not deemed fit for introduc- the Indian Museum (Fermor, 1936) and is at present tion into the Journal" (Mitra, 1885). maintained the of India (Sewell, by Zoological Survey Because the Society's Proceedings was less well 1932; Das et al., 1998). known than the Journal and the ambiguity of descrip- The periodicals of this two century old institution tions in abstracts versus in "full papers", the dates of included the Journal and the Proceedings, which some of the descriptions of several genera and species gradually replaced several leading oriental journals of of amphibians and reptiles from Asia have been the period, including the Asiatick Researches and the assigned incorrectly in subsequent works (e.g., Smith, Calcutta Journal of Natural History. Because of 1935; 1943) to the description published in the Jour- delays in publishing the Journal (started in March nal, when, in fact, they were validly published earlier, 1832, the old series continuing until 1904, see in some cases, a year before, in the Proceedings. Chaudhuri, 1956), the Society started the Proceedings Some of the leading naturalists of the day read papers in January 1865 (which were issued monthly till on faunistics, including the descriptions of new taxa, December 1904). The Proceedings was out "as soon in the monthly meetings of the Society, which were as possible, after every monthly meeting", according reported as "abstracts" in the Proceedings. These 1999 Asiatic Herpeiological Research Vol. 8, p. 19

abstracts propose both new names and provide Literature Cited descriptions and diagnoses, thereby constituting a Anonymous. 1907. The Asiatic Society of Bengal. valid description according to the Code of Zoological Nature 75: 511. Nomenclature. Since the aforementioned fascicles P. Y. 1975. The fauna of were generally issued monthly, and distributed to Berry, amphibian peninsular Press, Kuala x + 130 members through subscription, publication was rapid, Malaysia. Tropical Lumpur, pp. leading to several names being available before their Blanford. H. F and W. L. Heeley. 1865. [Untitled] more complete description. In some of the cases, the Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 1865(i): titles of the papers published in the Journal and Pro- (I). ceedings were identical, in others, there were minor Blanford, W. T 1875a. List of Reptilia and Amphibia differences, such as the use of the more formal 'Rep- collected by the late Dr. Stoliczka in Kashmir, Ladak, tilia' in Blanford (1879a) instead of 'reptiles' in Blan- Eastern Turkestan and Wakhan, with descriptions of ford (1879b). Regrettably, the type localities of some new species. Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of taxa are different in the two publications, the Journal Bengal (8): 201-202. [issued November, 1875.] tending to have a more precise type locality. In one Blanford. W. T "1875"b 1876. List of Reptilia and instance. (Blanford, 1878a), the type locality ("Foot Amphibia collected by the late Dr. Stoliczka in Kash- of Nawlabu hill, west of Tavoy") is different from that mir, Ladak, eastern Turkistan, and Wakhan, with which appeared in the purported formal description descriptions of new species. Journal of the Asiatic (Blanford, 1878b: "Foot of Nawlabu Hill, east of Society of Bengal 44(3): 191-196. [issued January 13, Tavoy..."). If illustrations depicting the new taxon 1876.] being described for the first time were provided, these W. T. 1875c. On some lizards from appeared in the Journal. The months and, where avail- Blanford, Sind, with of new of able, dates of issue of each fascicle making available descriptions species Ptyodactylus, and of the Asi- new zoological names are annotated with the refer- Stenodactylus, Trapelus. Proceedings atic of 232-233. Decem- ences in Table 1. Only names published in the Pro- Society Bengal (9): [issued ceedings that are at present attributed to the intended ber, 1875.] formal description in the Journal have been listed. Blanford, W. T. 1876. On some lizards from Sind,

Names dealt with in this communication have with descriptions of new species of Ptyodactylus, and Journal of the Asiatic been proposed either by William Blanford (1832- Stenodactylus, Trapelus. of 18-26 + PI. I-II. June 1905) of the Geological Survey of India, or Ferdinand Society Bengal 45(1 ): [issued Stoliczka (1838-1874), Secretary of the Natural His- 26, 1876.] tory Department of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Two Blanford, W. T. 1878a. Notes on Reptilia from the genera (one amphibian and one reptile) and 24 species Himalayas and Assam. Proceedings of the Asiatic (three amphibians and 21 reptiles) were described as Society of Bengal (6): 141-142. [issued June, 1878.] new by the aforementioned workers in the Proceed- Blanford, W. T. 1878b. Notes on some Reptilia from before their intended formal in the ings publication the Himalayas and Burma. Journal of the Asiatic Soci- Journal. Of these, one genus (an amphibian) and 16 ety of Bengal 47(3): 125-131. [issued October 28, (three and 13 are at species amphibians reptiles) 1878] present considered valid (see Table 1 ). The geographi- Blanford, W. T. 1879a. Notes on reptiles. Proceedings cal coverage of the type localities includes Turkmeni- of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (8): 216-217. [issued stan (five), Pakistan (five), India (five), Myanmar August, 1879.] (six), and Malaysia (five). Blanford, W. T. 1879b. Notes on Reptilia. Journal of Acknowledgements the Asiatic Society of Bengal 48(3): 127-132. [issued November 28, 1879] Supported by a Fulbright Fellowship. Research on the Bose, P. N. 1885. Centenary review of the Asiatic manuscript was conducted at the Widener and Ernst Society of Bengal from 1784-1883. Part ID.. Natural Mayr Libraries of Harvard University. I thank Kraig Science. Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta. Errata + Adler, Roy McDiarmid, Hobart Smith and Van 109 + xcvi pp. Wallach for comments on the manuscript. Boulenger, G. A. 1885. Catalogue of lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second edition. Vol. 1. Geckonidae (sic), Eublepharidae, Uroplatidae, Asiatic Research 1999 Vol. 8, p. 20 Herpetological

R. F 1983. and varia- Pygopodidae, Agamidae. British Museum (Natural Inger, Morphological ecological tion in the lizards Draco). Fieldiana History), London, xii + 436 pp + PL I-XXXII. flying (genus Zoology new series (18): i-iv + 1-35. Boulenger, G. A. 1893. Catalogue of the snakes in the A. G. 1993. Gekkonoid lizard Inter- British Museum (Natural History). Vol. I., containing Kluge. taxonomy. national Gecko San 245 the families Typhlopidae, Glauconiidae, Boidae, Ilysi- Society, Diego. pp. Colubridae idae, Uropeltidae, Xenopeltidae, and Mitra, R. 1885. Centenary review of the Asiatic Soci-

British Museum (Natural I. of the Aglyphas part. History), ety of Bengal from 1784 to 1883. Part History xiii + 448 + PL I-XXVIII. London, pp Society. Asiatic Society of Bengal. Calcutta. 195 pp. fauna of the Boulenger, G. A. 1912. A vertebrate Moody, S. M. 1980. Phylogenetic and historical bio- from the Isthmus of Kra to Sin- Malay Peninsula geographical relationships of the genera in the family the islands. and Doc- gapore including adjacent Reptilia Agamidae (Reptilia: Lacertilia). Unpublished xiii + 294 Batrachia. Taylor and Francis, London, pp. toral Dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Brown, W. C. 1991. Lizards of the genus Emoia 5 unnumbered pages + xv + 373 pp. their evolution and (Scincidae) with observations on Musters, C. J. M. 1983. Taxonomy of the genus of biogeography. Memoirs of the California Academy Draco L. (Agamidae, Lacertilia, Reptiles). Zoolo- vi + 1-94. Sciences (15): gischeVerhandelingen(199): 1-120, PL 1-4.

Cannon, G. 1960. The literary place of Sir William Nikol'skii, A. M. 1963. Fauna of Russia and adjacent Journal of the Asiatic of Israel Jones (1746-1794). Society countries. Reptiles. Vol. I. Chelonia and Sauria. Bengal (new series) 2: 47-61. Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem. 352 Chaudhuri, S. 1956. Index to the publications of the pp. 1788-1953. Asiatic of croc- Asiatic Society Society Bengal, Pope, C. H. 1935. The reptiles of China. Turtles, Calcutta, xiii + 336 pp. odilians, snakes, lizards. Natural history of central 1998. Asia. Vol. 10. American Museum of Natural History, Das, I., B. Dattagupta and N. C. Gayen. History of the New York, lii + 604 and catalogue of reptile types in the collection pp. Zoological Survey of India. Journal of South Asian Sewell, R. B. S. 1932. The Zoological Survey of Natural History 3(2): 121-172. India. Nature 129:530-531. and from Dring, J. C. M. 1979. Amphibians reptiles Smith, H. M. 1989. The original description of Ovo- with of of the northern Trengganu, Malaysia, descriptions phis Burger (Serpentes: Viperidae). Bulletin and Bul- two new geckos: Cnemaspis Cyrtodactyius. Chicago Herpetological Society 24: 7. letin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zool- Smith, M. A. 1935. The fauna of British India, includ- ogy) 34: 181-241. Vol. ing Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Notes sur la classification des Dubois, A. 1992. II.- Sauria. Taylor and Francis, London, xiii + 440 pp Anoures). 61(10): 305- Ranidae (Amphibiens Alytes + 1 pi. 352. Smith, M. A. 1943. Fauna of British India, Ceylon and 1934-35. The Fermor, L. L. 1936. Annual address, Burma, including the whole of the Indo-Chinese of scientific research in India to the end Lon- development region. Vol. III. Serpentes. Taylor and Francis, Year-Book Asiatic of the Nineteenth Century. Society don, xii + 583 pp. + 1 map. of 1:9-22. Bengal Stoliczka, F 1870a. Observations on some Indian and The and of the Greer, A. E. 1977. systematics evolutionary Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia. Proceedings relationships of the scincid lizard genus Lygosoma. Asiatic Society of Bengal 1870(4): 103-109. [issued of Natural 11: 515-540. Journal History April, 1870.]

Hennig, W. 1936. Revision der Gattung Draco (Aga- Stoliczka, F 1870b. Observations on some Indian and 1: 153-220. of the Asi- midae). Temminckia Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia. Journal of 134-157 (= 158 + Hoge, A. R. and S. A. R. W. L. Romano-Hoge. 1978- atic Society Bengal 39(2): pp) 1979. Poisonous snakes of the world. Part I. Check captions, PL DC [issued June 7, 1870.] Crotalinae. list of the pit vipers Viperoidea, Viperidae, Stoliczka, F 1870c. Observations on some Indian and Inst. 42-43: 179-310. of the Asi- Mem. Butantan [issued 1981.] Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia. Journal toads of atic of 39(3): 159-228 (= 70 pp) PL Inger, R. F 1960. A revision of the Oriental Society Bengal the genus Ansonia Stoliczka. Fieldiana Zoology 39: X-XII. [issued September 1, 1870.] 473-503. 1999 Asiatic Herpetological Research Vol. 8, p. 21

Wall, F. 1923. A hand-list of the snakes of the Indian Zhao, E.-M. and K. Adler. 1993. Herpetology of Empire. Part II. Journal of the Bombay Natural His- China. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Rep- tory Society 29: 598-632. tiles, Contributions to Herpetology, No. 10. SSAR, Oxford, Ohio. 522 48 Wall, F. 1924. A hand-list of the snakes of the Indian pp, pi. Empire. Part III. Journal of the Bombay Natural His- tory Society 29: 864-878.

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