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September, 1976 VOI.LMF 54 THE QU.~RTERLYREVIEW OF.HIOI.OGY September, 1976 COMMENTARY THE COMPLEAT DICTIONARY OF ZOOLOGY: I. VERNACULAR NAMES IN HERPETOLOGY Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Califbrnia 94720 USA ABSTRACT Definitionr of vmnacular names in herpetology that are available in current dictionaries of zoology and of herpetology are incomplete and hence are frequently a source of confwzon to the beginning student, interested amateur, and professional herpetologist. To helpfill this lexicographic hiatus, I have searched the literature for dejnitiow that have been omitted from orthodox scientiffc dictionarzes. These alternative dejnitiom are quoted and presented in the spirit of fostering preczse communication within thr? science of herpetology. ". the circle of the English language has a well-defined centre but no discernible circumfprence." "lf there is any truth in the old Greek maxim that a large book is a great evil, English dictionaries have been steadily growing worse ever since their inception more than three centurzes ago. Historical Introduction to The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary INTRODUCTION of definitions of vernacular names in zoology that are T IS AXIOMATIC that successful scientific usually ignored by orthodox scientific dictionaries. communication requires that the sender and Here I present sample definitions of vernacular the receiver share a common understanding of names in herpetology. Subsequent papers in this the precise definitions of words, terms, or series will treat and analyze comparable names and I phrases. Fortunately, a variety of dictionaries definitions in ornithology, mammalogy, and ichthyol- and glossaries of zoology are currently available ogy (Huey, in prep.). (Council of Biology Editors Style Manual, 1972, pp. While the author is neither an etymologist nor a 256-260). including a dictionary of technical terms in professional lexicographer, he is, nevertheless, qual- herpetology (Peters, 1964). Unfortunately, even a ified for this task. A dictionary was always on his superficial inspection reveals that the definitions in bookshelf during his formative years, and he has these works are frequently incomplete. The resulting owned his own copy of a dictionary since 1962. lexicographic confusion can be formidable: "The be- ginner in herpetology today encounters many prob- MATERIALS AND METHODS lems that are strictly terminological in nature. He finds that the same word can mean several different Sample definitions of vernacular names in her- things in current usage, and that several words can petology were obtained by searching The Compact Edi- have the same meaning" (Peters, ibid.). tion of the Oxford English Dictzonary (hereafter, OED). To help fill this gap, I have been accumulating a file Appropriate definitions are quoted verbatim, except *Present address: Department of' Zoology NJ-15, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 0033-5770/79/030301-71$0.95.@ 1979 by the Stony Brook Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. 3 02 THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY [VOLUME54 where minor editing was necessary. A few supple- alleged to be hatched by a serpent from a cock's egg; mentary definitions from Webster's Third New Interna- ancient authors stated that its hissing drove away all tional Dictionary (hereafter, WTD) and from 6,000 other serpents, and that its breath, and even its look, Words, A Supplement to Webster's Third New International was fatal." "A large cannon, generally made of brass, Dictionary (hereafter, 6,000) are included. Unless oth- and throwing; a shot of about 200 pounds weight." erwise noted, however, all definitions are from the "Obs. name of the star Regulus, in Leo." "Obs. name OED. of the Golden-crested Wren or Kinglet (Regulus cris- Only definitions of herpetological names used as tatw)." (Author's note: see also basilisco-proof). nouns are arbitrarily included. Interested readers are Beak-head: "The beak or prow of an ancient war- encouraged to locate other definitions applying to galley." "A small platform at the fore part of the these words when used as adjectives or verbs. upper deck." "The part of a ship in front of the forecastle, fastened to the stem, and supported by the main knee." "An ornament shaped like a bird's beak RESULTS AND DISCUSSION used in Norman mouldings." ". a space forward of Adder: "He who adds." ". .fig. The 'old serpent,' a forecastle containing latrines for crewmen (WTD)." the devil . By extension, A dragon, i.e. a supposed Bloodsucker: "An animal which sucks blood; esp. the serpent with wings." "An adding machine." (Author's leech." "One who draws or sheds the blood of an- note: see also adder-deaf, adder footed, adder's- other; a blood-thirsty or blood-guilty person." "One meat.) who extorts or preys upon another's money or sub- Agama: ". one of a class of tantric treatises ac- stance; an extortioner; a sponger." cepted as scripture within Hinduism and Buddhism Boa: "A snake-like coil of fur worp by ladies as a . (WTD)." wrapper for the throat." "Nile green (WTD)." Alligator: "One who binds or ties." "A rock-breaker Cascabel: "Formerly the knob or pommel at the rear operating by jaws." "An inhabitant or native of the end of a cannon; now the whole rear part behind the Mississippi region . ." "A lean hog." ". a boat used base ring, including the knob and base." ". a small in handling floating logs." "A 'Squeezer' or machine hollow perforated spherical bell enclosing a loose pel- for reducing the puddle-ball to a compact mass." (Au- let which causes it to jingle when moved - called also thor's note: a puddle-ball is a rounded mass or iron jingle bell (WTD)." formed in puddling). Chameleon: "An . inconsistent or variable person." Amphibia: "A being that lives either in water or on "One of the southern circumpolar constellations, land, or is equally at home in either element." "A lying between Apus and Mensa." "Manganate of being of doubtful or ambiguous position." "A being potassium, the solution of which in water changes having a double existence." ". a tribe of Mammals color on exposure to air from deep green to deep including seals and their allies." purple." ". .-. something subject to quick or frequent Amphibian: "Oftenfig. esp. of persons who have a change esp. in appearance . (WTD)." (Author's double character or live a twc-fold life; also transf, of note: see also chameleonic and chameleonize). seaplanes." ". a flat-bottomed vehicle that moves on Coachwhip: "A whip used in driving a coach." 'tfig. A tracks having finlike extensions by which it is pro- long thin strip; pl. shreds, tatters." "Naut. 'The Pen- pelled on land or water and that is typically used for dant.' " "Ocotillo (WTD)." landing assault troops (WTD)." Cobra: "Shipworm (WTD)." Amphisbaena: "A fabled serpent of the ancients, with Copperhead: "A nickname given, during the Civil a head at each end, and able to move in either direc- War (U.S.), to a northern sympathizer with the Sec- tion: retained by the moderns as a poetical concep- cessionists of the south . ." "A descendent of the tion." (Author's note: the adjective form, amphis- Dutch settlers of New York . Presbyterians . An baenous, is defined as "walking equally in opposite American Indian." ". one whose loyalty is ques- directions"). tioned (WTD)." ". a ground squirrel (Citellus Apoda: ". any of several different groups of ani- lateralis) of the western U.S. having a yellowish head mals that have been so named from their lacking and shoulders and conspicuously striped body limbs or feet: as . an order of slender wormlike (WTD)." ". American Goldeneye . Yellow-headed holothurians . a group of fishes without pelvic fins Blackbird (WTD)." . an order or suborder of parasitic segmented cir- Crocodile: "A person who weeps or makes a show of ripedes . worms without appendages (WTD)." sorrow hypocritically or with a malicious purpose." Asp: "A tree of the poplar family (Populw tremula), "Name of an ancient sophism or dilemma; see with greyish bark and spreading branches, the leaves Crocodilite." "A girls' school walking two and two in a of which are specially liable to the tremulous motion long file." "Applied to any long procession of moving that characterizes all poplars. Sometimes loosely used objects close together." "A mechanical appliance with of other poplars." (~uthor'snote: see also aspworm). a notched or serrated edge suggestive of the upper Basilisk: "A fabulous reptile, also called a cockatrice, jaw of a crocodile: . used with a builders' crane as a SEPTEMBER19791 COMMENTARY 3 03 means of attaching the chain . ." (Author's note: the a plow are secured (WTD)." ". the nut of a violin OED quotes this version of the Crocodolite, " 'A bow: heel . (WTD)." ". the junction of two Woman sitting by the side of Nilus, a Crokodile branches of a flume . a guiding timber at the mouth snatch'd away her Child, promising to restore him, if of a slide (WTD)." ". a device for supporting and she would answer truly td what he asked; which was, mutually insulating trolley wires that cross each other Whether he meant to restore him or not? She an- (WTD)." ". the seat for the plane iron in the stock of swer'd, Not to restore him, and challenged his prom- a carpenter's plane (WTD)." ". a loom device that ise, as having said the Truth. He reply'd, that if he actuates a stop motion when the shuttle is out of should let her save him, she had not told true.' "). position (WTD)." ". an imperfectly ripened prune Dragon: "A mythical monster, represented as a of inferior quality (WTD)." ". a card game devel- huge and terrible reptile, usually combining ophidian oped from tarok and popular esp. in Mexico . the and crocodilian structure, with strong claws, like a lowest bid in this and similar games . (WTD)." ". a beast or bird of prey, and a scaly skin; it is generally small holder with perforations or spikes that is placed represented with wings, and sometimes as breathing in a bowl or vase to keep cut flowers in position out fire.
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