Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(2)

Bauer, A. M. 2025. Comments on Early Herpetological publications about Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Canada. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(2):7–11.

Prince Edward Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is Canada’s smallest province, with an area of 5660 km². Its herpetofauna is relatively depauperate. Ten species of amphibians and three species of snakes have been verified for the province. The most comprehensive publications devoted specifically to P.E.I. are those of Francis R. Cook (1960, 1967) who, along with J. Sherman Bleakney (1958) in his treatment of eastern Canada as a whole, provided a historical overview of studies on the herpetology of the province. They cited the works of John T. Mellish (1877) on snakes, Francis Bain (1890) on the herpetofauna in general, and Blythe Hurst (1944) on amphibians — all dedicated to Prince Edward Island specifically. They additionally cited several papers by Philip Cox (1847–1939), an educator and naturalist from New Brunswick.

Cook (1967) wrote “J.T. Mellish (1876) was probably the first author to publish on the Island herpetology.” However, a far earlier overview of the herpetofauna of P.E.I. was included by John Stewart (1806) in An Account of Prince Edward Island. Moriarty and Bauer (2024, State and Provincial Amphibian and Reptile Publications for the United States and Canada, Second Edition. Wahlgreniana 3.) included this work in their bibliography of P.E.I. herpetofaunal works, but the book has otherwise been uncited in the herpetological literature, and I take this opportunity to summarize its relevant content.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(1)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2025. How to Raise a Bullfrog—A Further Update with Information on a Possible Albert Broel Manuscript. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(1):1–6.

Tracing the history of an industry where obscure publications and ephemera predominate is difficult. Such is the case when documenting the history of frog farming in North America. Historians assemble as much material as possible before publishing their findings, but there is always the possibility of finding new information that had been unknown or unattainable previously. In this note, I present updated information on a publication mentioned in Dodd and Jennings (Bibliotheca Herpetologica 15(8)) that we had not been able to locate, report on another frog raising brochure, add a note on Albert Broel’s (American Frog Canning Company, New Orleans) 1945 frog-raising manual, and discuss a manuscript that might be an original outline for Broel’s system of giant bullfrog culture.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica Volume 18 Print Copy

The print copies have arrived and are being shipped this week.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(10)

Bell, C. J. and S. Skwarcan 2024. The Boy Scouts of America Reptile Study Merit Badge Pamphlet in World War II and the Broader Role of the Boy Scouts in Paper Rationing and Propaganda Distribution During the War. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(10):98–107.

John Moriarty’s excellent review of the history of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Reptile Study merit badge pamphlet (see Bibliotheca Herpetologica 10(1)) inspired our effort to compile as complete a set as possible of the different editions and printings of that pamphlet. The successful completion of that effort yielded an unexpected surprise for us — there were three cover styles during World War II for the merit badge pamphlets published by the BSA.

The earliest was printed between 1939 and 1943 (with a few copies printed early in 1944). That cover is Joe Price’s ‘Type 4 — Boy Scout Standing’ and was a colorful illustration of a boy scout in uniform on the left side of the front cover, backed mostly by white. (Joe Price privately published several catalogs of Boy Scout and Cub Scout handbooks, Boy Scout Merit Badge books and other Boy Scout Literature from roughly 1998–2002.)

The second wartime cover was printed on a thicker cardstock with a much-simplified design and was produced to comply with wartime restrictions on use of paper and color dyes. It was also printed with a much-simplified design and was produced to comply with wartime restrictions on use of paper and color dyes. That cover was printed between March and November of 1944 and is Joe Price’s ‘Type 5A — Cardboard or war cover’.

By the end of 1944 booklets with those covers had been entirely distributed for many merit badge titles and were replaced by the third type used during the war, the Type 5B cover which was made of slick clay paper but still lacked the extensive color illustrations of the printings in the early war years.

In addition to merit badge pamphlets many other BSA publications were impacted by wartime restrictions. As an example, the fourth edition of the Boy Scout Handbook also was impacted by wartime rationing — at the fifth printing (September, 1944), the size was reduced from 4.5 x 7 inches to 4 1/4 x 6 5/8 inches, and all color printing was eliminated to reduce use of pigments essential for the war effort. Many other publications of the Boy Scouts of America that were printed in 1944 and 1945 carry notices of compliance with wartime restrictions; the notice was dropped by March 1946. The broader context of those rationed materials lies in the general wartime restrictions under which many people lived during the war. That context also intersects again with the BSA in several ways and is discussed in the article.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(9)

Rouot, S. 2024. Jagannathan “Viji” Vijaya and the Forest Cane Turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica, Henderson 1912). Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(9):88–97.

Throughout the rainforests of the Western-Ghats, one of the smallest Geoemydidae turtles known today—the Forest Cane Turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica, Henderson 1912—can be found in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu in the southwest of the Indian peninsula. This remarkable turtle is easily distinguished by several unique morphological features. Today, the Forest Cane Turtle is threatened by habitat loss resulting from development and wildfire, as well as subsistence hunting by local tribes.

Although the species was first described by carcinologist John Robertson Henderson in 1912 based on two males given to him by local Kadar tribesmen the year prior, it wasn’t until 1982 that this species—by then thought to be extinct—was rediscovered by a woman who would come to dedicate herself fully to the study of this species. Through her hard work and dedication, Jagannathan “Viji” Vijaya—the first female herpetologist in India—brought the cryptic Forest Cane Turtle out of the shadows and back to the forefront of herpetology, bringing with it new hope for the turtle’s survival.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(8)

Mendyk, R. W. 2024. Early Zoo Studies in Herpetology: Catherine C. Hopley and the London Zoological Gardens. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(8):81–87.

“You can have no idea how much there is to learn about the ways of snakes. The more knowledge one gains the more one is sensible of ignorance”— Catherine Cooper Hopley, 1893

It may come as a surprise to many that the first popular English-language book ever to be published on the lives and habits of snakes was authored by a woman in Victorian England—a period marked by sexism, misogyny, and defined societal gender roles where women were ineligible for post-secondary academic pursuits, and often excluded from participation in the natural sciences and memberships in scientific societies. Yet, despite some initial surprise over the gender of its author, Catherine Cooper Hopley’s (1882) Snakes: Curiosities & Wonders of Serpent Life was widely-acclaimed, receiving many positive and celebratory reviews. Its literary success flew in the face of numerous publishers that had declined or would not even entertain the idea of taking the project on because of its apparent “loathsome” subject matter.

Although Catherine Cooper Hopley’s (1882) Snakes: Curiosities & Wonders of Serpent Life is widely regarded as the first major tome to popularize the lives and habits of snakes, there had been previous English-language works on snakes including Edward Topsell’s (1608) The History of Four-footed Beasts, Serpents, and Insects and Charles Owen’s (1742) An Essay Towards a Natural History of Serpents. These works, however, tended to focus on cataloging species, were largely steeped in myth and folklore, and did not see the widespread distribution, audience or reach of Hopley’s book.

Wahlgreniana Volume 2 Addenda & Corrigenda

Addenda & Corrigenda: Bibliography of the Anurans of the United States and Canada
Part 1: 1698–2012. Part 2: 2013–2021

Click the link above to download a PDF of the Addenda and Corrigenda released July, 2024.

 

Wahlgreniana Volume 3

State and Provincial Amphibian and Reptile Publications for the United States and Canada, Second Edition by John J. Moriarty and Aaron M. Bauer. This bibliography is intended as a guide to the regional (state and provincial) herpetofaunal literature of the United States and Canada through December 31, 2023. The oldest references cited date back to the late 18th century. It includes over 1300 references dealing primarily with single states or provinces or substantial portions thereof. Regional works of broader scope, covering up to three states or provinces (more in the cases of New England and the Maritime provinces of Canada) have also been incorporated. In addition to journal articles, citations are provided for field guides, published state and provincial bibliographies, and substantial checklists. Many of the works referenced do not appear in existing print or online databases. All citations are bibliographically complete and brief comments regarding different reprints, revisions and editions are provided. The bibliography will be a valuable research tool for those working on regional or local surveys, conservation assessments or field biology of North American amphibians and reptiles. It can also serve as a guide for bibliophiles who are building their own libraries of state and provincial works. The bibliography is illustrated with more than 100 cover images from among the cited works.

 

Volume 3—June 2024 Moriarty, John J. and Aaron M. Bauer. 2024. State and Provincial Amphibian and Reptile Publications For the United States and Canada, Second Edition. ISHBH, Salt Lake City, vi., 85 pp. Paperback, ISBN: 979-8-218-44771-7. Retail: $20.00; ISHBH members $12.00. Postage is additional. Order Here

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(7)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2024. Women in Herpetology — A Short Biography of Mary Hewes Hinckley. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(7):74–80.

In the introduction to all three editions of Anna and Albert Wright’s Handbook of Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada, the authors dedicate the book to four women who “…have in the last half-century contributed most notably to the study of this group.” Among them was Mary Hewes Hinckley (6 April 1845 – 5 June 1944), who would have been 88 when the first edition of Frogs was published. Relatively little information is available on this remarkable woman, despite the recognition she was accorded by the Wrights. She was honored by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) at the recommendation of Albert H. Wright when the Society unanimously passed a resolution to “send our greetings to two great herpetologists—Mary H. Hinckley and Leonhard Stejneger” at the annual meeting in 1940 in Toronto. Here, I present some background information on Mary, discuss the importance of her observations on frogs in the late 19^th Century, and identify the potential location of her one named study site.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(6)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2024. The Hermit Naturalist, A Nearly Forgotten Snake Story. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(6):71–73.

In 1899, a writer named Fred. Alexander Lucas published a short book that told the tale of a lonely hermit living on an island in the Delaware River who had immigrated from Sicily. One frosty autumn morning in 1893, the story goes, the narrator, identified only as Fritz, was fishing on the river when he saw a man fall in. The narrator quickly rows to the man in the water and pulls him into his boat. They retire to the man’s cabin on the nearby island to dry off, whereupon the Old Hermit shows him around and begins to recount his tale. The Old Hermit, identified as “the Count,” was well off living in a fine home with a beautiful young daughter. He spent his days rambling in the countryside studying natural history. One day, returning from his nature hike, he found his daughter was missing, having been abducted by brigands. He discovered that one of the brigands had sailed for America with his young captive. Determined to find his daughter, he came to America in search of her, but without success. In quiet desperation, he had settled on this remote island in hopes of one day resuming his search. Then The Hermit Naturalist turns to snakes.

Chapter 2 is devoted entirely to describing the life histories of snakes: how they live, their senses, how they feed, shedding, defensive behavior, breeding, hibernation, and the myth of snake charming. Chapter 3 is devoted to the life history of local snakes. The life history of these species is described by the Count to Fritz, but with little direct connection to the Hermit’s life story; it is strictly snake biology. For 1899, the information is remarkably accurate and strictly within the realm of knowledge at that time. The source of the information is not provided. There were no summaries of snake biology available for New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, and an examination of DeKay (1842), Hopley (1882), Abbott (1888), and the observations of Harold C. Bumpus published in Natural History Notes (1884–1886) offer no clues as to the source of the Count’s stories.

Chapter 4 provides a happy ending to the Hermit’s quest. On a natural history ramble through the forest the following spring, Fritz stumbles across a beautiful young girl sitting on a bench on a bluff near the sanitorium where she worked. Fritz realizes who she is and reunites her with her long-lost father. In time, Fritz marries the girl, and presumably they all live happily ever after.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(5)

Bauer, A. M. , R. Powell and A. H. Griffing. 2024. Two Largely Forgotten Early Sources on the Fer-de-Lance of Martinique, Bothrops lanceolatus. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(5):60–70.

Bothrops lanceolatus, the Martinique Lancehead, commonly called the “Fer-de-Lance”, is a large pitviper of both medical importance and conservation concern. The species was described by La Cépède (1789), but because names in this work were ruled by the International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature to be unavailable, most subsequent authors have attributed authorship to Bonnaterre (1790), who used La Cépède’s name (Coluber lanceolatus) and repeated his content. The sources for information about the Fer-de-Lance available to La Cépède and Bonnaterre were limited.

La Cépède (1789) cited four specific sources: Rochefort (1667), unpublished communications from [Barthélemy de] Badier, and two contributions from the Nouvelles de la République des Lettres et des Arts, one (the Mémoire) with no identified author and the other (the Lettre) by M. Bonodet de Foix (1786).

Bonnaterre (1790) introduced new information communicated to him from an unpublished manuscript by the French Minim friar Charles Plumier by the noted Berlin physician and ichthyologist Marcus Eliesar Bloch, La Cépède (1789) and Rochefort (1667), and the Mémoire and Lettre, for which he gave only the year of publication (1786), as did La Cépède (1789).

After Bonnaterre, the publications in Nouvelles de la République des Lettres et des Arts were widely cited for nearly a century, while in the last 145 years we found mentions of Bonodet only in de Lalung (1934), a short book on the Fer-de-Lance, and Dewynter et al. (2023), a modern work on the herpetofauna of Martinique. Nothing in any of these works, though, suggests that the authors subsequent to La Cépède actually consulted an original copy of the Nouvelles de la République des Lettres et des Arts.

Because these two elusive papers in the Nouvelles de la République des Lettres et des Arts were apparently critical sources informing the early literature of the Fer-de-Lance, we undertook to consult them directly (perhaps for the first time in well over two centuries) to clarify how much of La Cépède’s (1789) account, and those of others, depended on the information they provided. We here present a translation of these key early works on the Fer-de-Lance, along with biographical information about Bonodet de Foix, bibliographic data about Nouvelles de la République des Lettres et des Arts, and an evaluation of both the veracity and the significance of statements about the Serpent de la Martinique made by Bonodet and the anonymous author of the Mémoire.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(4)

Bell, C. J., and T. J. LaDuc. 2024. Hermon Carey Bumpus and the Reptiles and Batrachians of Rhode Island, with Comments on Other Herpetological Content in Random Notes on Natural History, 1884–1886. Bibliotheca Herpetologica, Vol. 18(4):44–59. Published online April 24, 2024. Random Notes on Natural History was a short-lived serial publication that appeared in the late 1800s, persisted for a few years and was then discontinued. It was published in Providence, Rhode Island as monthly issues in three volumes from January 1884 through December 1886. The inaugural issue noted that the serial was “a pamphlet devoted to the distribution of useful knowledge concerning the various departments of zoology, mineralogy, and botany.” It also carried contributions dedicated to geology, methods in taxidermy, biographical notes on naturalists, and news of local and regional science societies. It was Hermon Bumpus’s series on the herpetology of Rhode Island that drew us to the journal. His was the earliest attempted summary of the herpetofauna of that state and was the most important of the herpetological contributions published in Random Notes on Natural History. We provide a biographical sketch of Bumpus and his contributions to science and museology, an overview of his contribution to the herpetology of Rhode Island, and a brief notice of other herpetological content that appeared in Random Notes on Natural History.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(3)

Rösler, H., P. Daszkiewicz, I. Ineich & W. Böhme 2024. Lacertulus minimus variegatus Plumier – a pre-Linnean description of a remarkable gecko (Gekkota: Sphaerodactylidae: Sphaerodactylus) from Haiti (Greater Antilles). Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(3):36–43. Published April 12, 2024. Charles Plumier, a priest of the Minims religious order, was a pioneer of botany in the West Indies at the end of the 17th century. He authored numerous zoological drawings and detailed descriptions, such as those on fish or crocodile anatomy. Many authors have subsequently used his manuscripts for their own publications and descriptions of new taxa. Among his botanical plates is a watercolor insert of a small lizard which he described and named Lacertulus minimus variegatus in a separate manuscript. Although coined prior to the adoption of the Linnean nomenclature, this nomen was used by subsequent authors and we determine its identification here. We conclude that this watercolor and the description later attached to it correspond to the endemic Haitian taxon Sphaerodactylus elegans punctatissimus. This means that the watercolor of Lacertulus minimus variegatus is probably the first pictorial representation of a species of this speciose genus.