^— ^ z {/, — £ 00 ± LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN iNSTITUTlOr llinillSNI NVINOSHill^S S3 I HVd an, BRARIEs'^SMITHSONlAN^INSTITUTlON"'NOIiniliSNrNVINOSHillNs'^S3iavyai CD ' Z -• _j 2 _i llinillSNI NviNOSHims S3iav8an libraries Smithsonian institutio- r- ^ I- rr ^^ Z 03 30 NOIinillSNrNVINOSHimS I B R AR I Es'^SMITHSONIAN'iNSTITUTION S3 d VH 8 ... tn to t^ 2 v>. z , I ^ iiniiiSNi NviN0SHims'^S3idvaan libraries Smithsonian institutioi — ,r\ — tr\ "n braries Smithsonian institution NoiiniiiSNi NviNOSHims S3idV8ai '^ z ^ Z C ' — rn _ _ ^ to ± CO _ )linillSNI NVINOSHimS S3IHVMan libraries SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIOI '^ BRARIEs'^SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIinillSNI NVINOSHlllNs'^S 3 I « V d 8 — ~ - "^ CO ^ CO DiiniiiSNi NviNOSHims S3iav«an libraries Smithsonian institutici r- z I- ^ ^ Z CD .^ V ^ ^ y" /c^xff^ ^ O JJlfcr ^Ai\ J- J!/r A/Mr v-» •'SSSSStS 'sk -'- lsC< >^s\ O SS^is^v 'Sv i % </) ^. 2 * W Z </, 2 , _ lES SMITHSONIAN__ INSTITUTION NOIiniliSNI_NIVINOSHllWS S3IMVdan_LIB, Oi I IT^'lI B I ES^SMITHS0NIAN"'|NSTITUTI0N NOII LSNI^'NVINOSHimS^SH dVH 8 RAR "" - r- ^ z r- 2 lES SMITHS0NIAN~INSTITUTI0N NOIiniliSNI~NVINOSHimS SBIMVyan LIB t/> ^ z, </) z ^^5"' ^. Z X LSNi NviN0SHims*^S3idvyan libraries Smithsonian institution noij «/> 5 eo = t/> ^^ z .J z _ _ . ^ B lES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIiniliSNI NVINOSHimS S3 I M Va 8 n_l-l z r- _^ 2 o z: /(^^^}>\ o '^°' iSNTNYINOSHimS S3 I aVH 8 n""LI B RAR I Es'^SMITHSONIAN-INSTITUTION,'w JES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIinillSNI NVINOSHilWS S3IHVyan_^'^ *A "• frt — */\ »• a: < NOIJ LSNI~'NVINOSHilWS S3 I W VH 8 ll'^LI B RAR I ES^SMITHSONIAN^INSTITUTION~ r- , Z r- 2 .lES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOIiniliSNI NVINOSHimS S3ldVdan^LIB J *^ t/> ^ .^-TT^v. ^ * ^ 5 -^ '^. ^epavimeni of fhc ^nicrior; U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. BULLETIN UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. WASHINGTON: GOVEENMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1875. <^ ^61 C H E C K - L I S T ^- _^ North American B^vtrachia and Eeptilia; SYSTEMATIC LIST OF THE HIGHER GROUPS, / ESSAY ON GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. BASED ON THE SPECIMENS CONTAINED Df THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. By EDWARD D. COPE. WASHIJ^GTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1875. ADVERTISEMENT. This work is the first of a series of papers intended to illustrate the collections of Natural History and Ethnology belonging to the United States and constituting the National Museum, of which the Smithsonian Institution was placed in charge by the act of Congress of August 10, 184G. It has been prepared at the request of the Institution, and printed by authority of the honorable Secretary of the Interior. JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, Xovember, 1875. ATTENTION READER The paper in this volume is brittle or the inner margins are extremely narrow. We have bound or rebound the volume utilizing the best means possible. PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE TABLE OF C0NTP:NTS. Page. IXTKODCCTOEY RYMAUKS, 3 P.\r:T I. Arrangftment of the iamWina and hi'^hkT divisioTiis of Batra«bia and K«ptilia. [Adopted i>rovijsionally by tbe Srnithsr»Dian In-stitntion.].. 7 C7a«* Batracbia 7 Or<?<?r Annra 7 Stegoc«phaH 10 GymDox>hidia 11 Urodela 11 Proteida 12 Tracbystomata -.1 12 CZa** Eeptilja 12 Ortfer Omitbosauria 12 Dinosanria 13 Croco<lilia 14 Sanrox»tferygia 14 Anoniodontia L5 Icbthyopterygia 15 Bbyncbocexibalia 15 Testndinata 16 , Lacertilia 17 Pytbonomorjjba Ophidia Part IL Check-lLst of the sjiecies of Batracbia and Heptilia of the Xearctic or North American realm 24 Class Batracbia 24 Order Tracbystomata 24 Proteida 24 Cadncibrancbiata 25 Annra 29 Bafoniformia 29 FJrmisternia 30 Arcifftra 30 Eanifonnia 32 Clasm 'ReitiWa, 33 Ord«rOphidia 33 Solenog] \-j»ba 33 Proteroglypha 34 Asinea 34 Scolecophidia 44 : II TABLE OF CONTENTS. Pa-re. P.via II. Check-list of the species of Batruchia and Reptilia, «S:c. —Continued : Cla«8 Reptila—Continued Order Lacertilia 44 Opheosauri 14 Pleurodonta 44 Typhlopbthahni 44 Leptoglo.ssa 44 l)il)loglof<sa 4r) Igiiauia 47 Nyctisaura '^0 Testudinata 50 Athecie oO Cryptodira 51 Crocodilia 54 I'.vitT III, On geographical distribution of the Vertebrata of the Kegnuni Nearc- ticuni, with especial reference to thcBatrachia and Reptilia 55 I. —The faunal regions of the earth 55 II.—Number of species 58 III.—Relations to other realni;- 61 lA'^. —The regions 67 Austroriparian iiS Eastern 70 Central 71 Pacific 7J Sonoran 7:> Lower Californian 74 V.—The Anslroripariau region 76 VI.—Tlie Eastern region 82 VII.—The Central region 88 VIII.—The Pacific region 89 IX.—The Sonoran regiou 90 X.—The Lower Californian region '.'^ XI.—Relation of distribution to physical causes IK? Pvirr IV. Bibliography <J7 A. —Works on the classification of Butrachia and Reptilia t>7 H. —Works treatingof the geographical distribution of North American Batincliia and Reptilia 100 ALril.MlETIC.VL INDEX 101 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. The present contribution to North American Herpetology is a prodro- nms of a general work on that subject, undertaken some years ago at the request of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The mate- rial which has been accumuhiting in the museum of that Institution has offered great advantages for the investigation of the questions of anatomical structure, variations of specific characters, and geographical distribution. It is believed that these subjects are much elucidated by the study of the Batrachia and Reptilia, since these animals are especially susceptible to physical influences; since, also, they are unable, like birds, and generally not disposed, as are mammals, to make extended migra- tious, their habitats express neai^ly the simjilest relations of life to its surroundings. In prosecuting these investigations, it has become necessary to adapt the nomenclature to the results obtained by study of many specimens as to the variation of species. It is a common observation that the better a species of animal is represented in our collections, the wider do we discover its range of variation to be, and the greater the number of supposed distinct species does it become necessary to reduce to the rauk of varieties. The definition of a species being simply a number of indi- viduals, certain of whose physical peculiarities belong to them alone, and are at the same time exhibited by all of them, it is evident that, since it is impossible, in the present state of our knowledge, to ijredicate what those "certain peculiarities" shall be, the only test of specific defi- nition is the constancy of those characters. Hence it is that the most diverse forms of one species may differ more from each other than two recognized species. In the investigation of North American cold-blooded Vertebrata, I have observed that many species are represented by well- marked geographical varieties, which, following the example of some oruithologists, I have called subspecies. Many of these have been here- tofore regarded as species. In illustration of these remarks, certain species of the genus Ophibohis may be selected. The most northern and the most southern forms of the genus, the 0. trianf/ulitm and 0. coccineus^ have always been regarded as distinct species; and so niinierous are their difterential characters, in col- oration, size, and sfjuaniation, that this view would seem to rest on a sat- isfactory IbiindatioM. I lind, however, that individuals exist which rep- resent every stage of development of each character which distinguishes them, although eel tain typesaypearto be moreabundant than the interme- diate ones. 0. trianijuhim is li species of larger size, with two temporal plates, a row of large dorsal spots, and other smaller ones on the sides, on a grayish ground ; with a chevron, and often other marks on the top of the head, and a band posterior to the eye. 0. cocci>ieu.s is a small snake with a small loreal plate and one temi)oral shield ; color red, with pairs of black rings extending round the body, and no markings on the head excepting that the anterior ring of the anterior pair crosses the posterior edge of the occi]>ital shields, forming a half collar. The transition is accom- plished thus : The lateral borders of the dorsal spots of 0. iriangulum break up, and the lateral spots become attached to their anterior and posterior dark borders. The chevron of the top of the head first breaks into spots, and then its posterior portions unite with each other. The borders of the old dorsal spots continue to the abdomen, where the remaining lateral portions finally meet on the middle line, forming a black line. This breaks up and disappears, leaving the annuli open; and these are then completed in many specimens. The general colors become more brilliant and the size smaller. The head is more dei)re.ssed ; in immediate relation to this form, the loreal i)late is reduced in size, and the two temporal shields of 0. irianguhim are reduced to one. I'^very form of combination of these characters can be found, which represent six species of the books (in North America), viz: 0. iriangulum, 0. doli- atu.s, 0. aiinuhttus, 0. gcutilis^ 0. aDiovruSjUud 0. coccineus. The oldest name is the 0. doUatus, Linn. Another series of specimens resemble very closely those of the subspecies eoccineus ; in fact, are identical with them in color. The loreal shield is, however, extinguished, and the rows of scales are i educed by one on each side. These specimens simply carry one degree further the modifications already described. Yet, on account of the constancy of these characters, I am compelled to regard these indiviiluals not only as a distinct s[)ecies, but, on account of the absence of the loreal plate, as belonging to another genus. This is the Cahima- ria chtpsoidea of Ilolbrook; the Osceola claijsoidea of Baird and Girard. It affords an illustration of the principle, which I have elsewhere insisted on, '• that adjacent species of allied genera may be more alike than remote species of identical generic characters," which indicates that generic char- acters originate independently of the specific* The classification of the present list is illustrated by the above remarks.