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349603
New York, Dec. 27, 1913. No. 1.
Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold- blooded vertebrates.
AN INTERESTING FORM OF THE PNAPPING TURTLE. (Chelydra_ serpentina. )
Recently several large snapping turtles have been received at the Philadelphia Aquarium, which appear to differ from those found commonly about Philadelphia and the Middle Atlantic States generally. I am indebted to Mr. W. E. Meehan, the Director of the Aquarium, for the opportunity of examining them. Altogether three specimens are in his possession, one from Minnesota and the others from Lake Copake in New York. Of the last, one is small. All agree in one striking fea- ture, though most developed in the two large exam- ples, in the presence of three lengthwise keels on the upper surface-of the carapace being well elevated and very conspicuous. Other examples with low and evenly convex carapaces, and with the keels but slightly developed, if at all present, are of all ages, the largest measuring 144 inches over the longest diameter of the carapace. These local specimens are from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This evidence is interesting, as most writers state that the carapace becomes gradually smoother withage, though my incomplete observations, chiefly from lack of northern material for comparison,
would point to a possible existence of two forms. This involves a question of the correct application of the fortunately few synonyms heretofore grouped under Zestudo serpentina Linneeus, which may be restricted to the northern or extremely keeled form. Chelydra lacertina Schweigger is virtually identical. The remaining Chelydra emarginata of Agassiz may then refer to the southern form, or at least to that common in the Delaware Valley
and south. H. W. FOWLER, Philadelphia, Pa.
COLOR CHANGES IN COLLARED LIZARDS.
Last summer it was my good fortune to be able to study Bailey’s Collared Lizard ( Crotaphytes col- laris) in the Painted Desert of northern Arizona. Those which I observed were found only in locali- ties where the volcanic or other rock occurred in piles, or was scattered over the ground. The liz- ards were generally seen perched upon one of these rocks. During the cooler hours of the day they were nearly always a dark, dirty gray, but when the air was warm and the lizards became more ac- tive, the color changed to a bright emerald green. This was in the country of the sandstone rocks. Where the black lava rock occurred the great majority of the lizards were of the same dark color, even when active and during the sunny part of the day. In this latter country they were a perfect example of protective coloration, but the green ones seem quite conspicuous, unless one could imagine a resemblance to the short grass, which occurred iregularly.
I have two specimens in captivity, and notice this same color change during the day. In the
morning, or when the air is cool, they lie sluggishly on the bottom of the cage, or under a rock, and at such times they are of this dark color and show no desire to feed. When the sun strikes their cage, however, they scramble around in a lively manner, their lighter colors begin to show, and they snap up meal worms eagerly. They are good feeders, quite. hardy, and are very gentle, never offering to bite. DWIGHT FRANKLIN, New York, N. Y.
PTSHES IN THE WATER-SUPPLY: OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.
On April 15, 1910, we visited Mr. Alfred D. Poole at Wilmington, who offered us every oppor- tunity to examine the fishes in the filter-beds. These are fed from the reservoir, which is supplied from the Brandywine Creek, at a considerable dis- tance. After the water was drawn off, we found the following: Abramis crysoleucas, Notropis hud- sonius amarus, N. analostanus, N. cornutus, Cypri- nus carpio, Catostomus commersonti, Ameiurus neb- ulosus, Lepomis auritus, Hupomotis gibbosus and Boleosoma nigrum olmstedi. On September 24, 1910, we again inspected other of the filter-beds, finding all of the above except Ameturus nebulosus, besides the following additional species: Angwilla chrisypa, Semotilus bullaris, Ameiurus catus and Micropterus dolomieu. On November 20 and 21, 1915, we again visited Wilmington, and examined the reservoir after the water was drawn off. We found it contained the following: Notropis analos- tanus, Oyprinus carpio, Anguilla chrisypa, Lepomis auritus, Hupomotis gibbosus and Micropterus salm- oides. These lists are quite interesting as showing the variety of species which gradually stock artifi-
cial bodies of water after considerable periods of time, as several years had elapsed since their pre- vious drainings. R. J. PHILLIPS and H. W. FOWLER, Philadelphia, Pa.
NOTES ON FISHES NEAR NEW YORK.
Since a List of the Fishes Known to have Occurred within Fifty Miles of New York City went to press in the Abstract of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New York, published Febru- ary 8, 1913, further data, changing the local status of the following species, has come to the writer’s attention :
Hippocampus hudsonius. (Feb.!) April to Nov.! Lobotes surinamensis.2, Casual. Sept. and Oct.
One seen in the fishermen’s catch at Galilee, N. J., Sept.
20, 1913. Prionotus carolinus. May to Nov. 21.° Urophycis chuss. Common. Oct. to at least Nov. 21.4 Paralichthys dentatus. May to Nov. 21. Paralichthys oblongus.? Common. Nov. Limanda ferruginea.? Common. Nov.
Lophopsetta maculata. August to Noy. 23, at which date in 1912 it was seen taken from rather deep water.
1. N. Y. Zoological Soc. Bull., April 1904. 2. N. Y. Zoological Soc. Bull., Jan. 1907. 3. Seen taken by the writer off New York in twenty-one fathoms,
Nov. 21, 1912. J. T. NICHOLS, New York, N. Y.
LATE ACTIVITY OF PICKERING’S HYLA.
On December 7, 1913, at Plainfield, N. J., I heard three Pickering’s Hylas giving their clear, Spring whistle in different parts of the woods. The day, like the preceding, was unseasonably warm (temperature 54° F. at 11:45 A. M.) and rainy, and
the woods very wet. W. DE W. MILLER,
Plainfield, N. J.
New York, Jan. 19, 1914. No. 2
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Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold- blooded vertebrates.
RIO GRANDE INDIAN FISHERMEN
Most of the Southwestern Indians will not eat fish, but the tribes along the Rio Grande have gotten over this prejudice if they ever had it. An explanation for the former non-use of fish is as follows: When the people came up out of the underworld through a lake in the north they wan- dered about looking for good places to live. When they came to the Rio Grande the leader made a bridge of Guacamayo feathers. Those persons who refused to cross are now the nomadic Indians, those who crossed safely are the Pueblo Indians, and those who fell in are the fish.
The methods of fishing are various, although snares and traps seem to be the most ancient. The snare is made of a horsehair loop tied to the end of a short stick. Lying on the bank the fish- erman maneuvers this snare till it is directly in front of the fish, and then draws it up with a jerk. The fish, startled, shoots straight ahead and is caught. The Indians of Taos Pueblo are very skillful at fishing in this manner. The fish-hook has been acquired from the white man and is valled a ‘‘ pointed fish snare.” Bone ones are sometimes made. H. J. SPINDEN.
New York, N. Y.
AMPHIBIANS: AND Gh Reese bs Aan JENNINGS, MARYLAND.
During June of 1907, while on a visit to Mr. Herman Behr in this part of Garrett County, I collected or noted a number of interesting species, as follows: Plethodon erythronotus, P. glutinosus, Spelerpes bislineatus, 8. longicauda, Desmognathus fusca, Diemictylus viridescens (both forms), Bufo americanus, Pseudacris triseriatus, Hyla picker- ingii, Rana pipiens, R. palustris, R. clamata, R. sylvatica, Thamnophis sirtalis, and Agkistrodon contortiria. Mr. Behr also reported Natrix sipedon, Crotalus horridus and Chelydra serpentina.
This list is offered, as no previous account has ever been given of the region, and as several of the species are of interest geographically.
T. D. KEIM, Stelton, N. J.
NOTES ON THE FISHES AT OCEAN OITY;, MARYLAND:
In August, with Mr. A. R. Burton, the off- shore pounds were visited to study the fishes of the region. Small collections were also made in Isle of Wight and Sinnepuxent Bays. As no recent account of the fishes has appeared since Uhler and Lugger’s in 1876, the following list is offered :
Carcharhinus milberti Several small ones. Sphyrna zygena A dozen young. Pristis pectinatus A mounted example on exhibition was reported to have been taken in 1911. It
was about 10 feet long, and had 25 teeth on each side of the rostrum.
Raja eglanteria Dasyatis say
Pteroplatea maclura Myliobatis freminvillar Acipenser sturio Anguilla chrisypa Opisthonema oglinwm Brevoortia tyrannus Stolephorus mitchilli Fundulus majalis Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus Fundulus diaphanus Fundulus lucie A few in ditches. Cyprinodon variegatus Tylosurus marinus Syngnathus fuseus Menidia beryllina cerea Menidia menidia notata Scomberomorus maculatus Trichiurus lepturus Caranx crysos Trachinotus carolinus Pomatomus saltatrix Rachycentron canadus Poronotus triacanthus Morone americana Many parasitized with Livoneca ovalis, some- times two within a single gill opening. Centropristes striatus Orthopristis chrysopterus Cynoscion regalis Cynoscion nebulosus Bairdiella chrysura Micropogon undulatus Leiostomus xanthurus Menticirrhus saxatilis Alutera schopfir Spheroides maculatus Chilomycterus schepfi Prionotus strigatus Lophopsetta maculata Paralichthys dentatus Lophius piscatorius H. W. FOWLER, Philadelphia, Pa.
THALASSOCHEHLYS CARHTTA IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC.
During November, 1912, the writer observed numbers of loggerhead turtles in the South Atlan- tic Ocean between the latitudes of 32° 54’ S. and 37° S., and the longitudes of 42° 15’ W. and 46° 29° W. The area included within these limits lies 400-500 miles east of the coast of Uruguay. The specific dates and notes are as follows:
“Nov. 3.—Two loggerheads, with carapaces fully a meter in length, noted separately.
‘* Nov. 4.—Three seen, of which one was har- pooned and captured. Its carapace was grown over with algae, and its stomach contained Chon- drophoride (Velella). A Cape Verde sailor who was suffering from rheumatism drank a cup of the blood of this turtle as medicine.
‘ Noy. 8.—Rough weather. Many loggerheads seen throughout the day (latitude 36° 16’ S., longi- tude 46° 35’ W.). One was observed swimming or floundering on its back, raising one pectoral flipper above the surface of the water as it paddled.
‘“ Nov. 9.—One seen. This loggerhead lay idly at the surface until it was grazed by the ship. Beneath its plastron was a veritable cloud of small fishes which kept their position when the turtle darted away.”
Re Co MURR EY. Brooklyn, N. Y.
New York, Feb. 14, 1914. No. :
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Cw i ;
Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold- blooded vertebrates.
CONCERNING THE OCCURRENCE OF SUCKERS (ECHENEIDID®) ON BALISTID 2.
During a period of prevailingly caln weather, August 8 to 25, 1912, in an area included between the latitudes 26° and 32° N. and the longitudes 49° and 62° W., I had an opportunity to observe from the deck of the American whaling brig ‘“ Daisy” considerable numbers of one or more species of pelagic trigger fish (Balistide). A photograph of a specimen captured on August 11 furnishes a satisfactory identification of the family.
These fishes were called by the sailors ‘‘ old wives” and “leather jackets.” Schools of them darted round the vessel, swimming mostly on their . sides, and the fishes readily bit hooks baited with sperm whale meat. The dorsal fin was high and situated well posteriorly ; some of the individuals were spotted or blotched with white. The largest specimen caught measured 28 centimeters in length.
On August 9 (latitude 27° N., longitude 62° W.) I saw one accompanied by three small, slender, dark-colored fishes (remoras) which appeared to be attached to the trigger fish’s side,
except that they sometimes wriggled away from it for a few seconds, or changed their positions in the manner of Echeneididse on sharks. A notebook sketch made at the time shows the parasites about one-quarter the length of the Balistid, or perhaps 8 centimeters long. R. ©. MURPHY. Brooklyn, N. Y.
NOTES ON FISHES NEAR NEW YORK.
On December 20, 1913, one or two Big Skate, Raja ocellata, were taken from the fishing steamer “Taurus” at Cholera Bank, Long Island. This seems the latest definite available record near New York City for the species, which probably winters. The prongs of an egg-case were projecting from the cloaca of a female.
During the fall and ensuing winter of 1913, Dr. Wiegmann has been active studying the occur- rence of fishes as captured near New York, and hopes by continuing his observations to get much more definite data on their abundance and migra- tions than is now available. The following late dates obtained are of interest:
Sheepshead Bay: Goggle-eyed Sead, Trachurops cru- menophthalmus, Sept. 24; White Mullet, Mugil carema, Nov. 9; Northern Barracuda, Sphyrena borealis, Nov. 16.
Coney Island: <Alewife, Pomolobus pseudoharengus, Nov. 26; Menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, Nov. 26; Silvery Anchovy, Stolephorus argyrophanus, Noy. 18. A single large specimen of the Silvery Anchovy was obtained. The identification has been verified at the American Museum of Natural History.
Sandy Hook: Blackfish, Tautoga onitis, Dec. 31; Squirrel Hake, Urophycis chuss, Dee. 51, abundant.
W. H. WIEGMANN, J. T. NICHOLS, New York, N. Y.
LIST OF SALIENTIA FROM NEAR JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
The following were collected ten miles south of Jacksonville by the writer, 1911-1912:
ORDER SALIENTIA. Family Ranide.
Rana pipiens Schreber, abundant all over. Rana sphenocephala Cope, abundant all over. Rana wesopus Cope, local, not very plentiful. Rana clamitans Latreille, sparsely, scattered companies. Rana catesbiana Shaw, permanent bodies of water. Rana grylis Stejneger, not rare, but very shy.
Family Hngystomatide.
Engystoma carolinense Holbrook, abundant everywhere after heavy rains.
Family Bufonide. Bufo lentiginosus Shaw and Bufo quercicus Holbrook, common, in companies in tem- porary water, or scattered on cultivated ground. Family Hylidae. Hyla pickeringti Storer, rare here. Hyla squirella Bose., in gardens and cornfields
Hyla femoralis Latreille, common on pine trees, but not easily caught.
Hyla cinerea Daudin, found in scattered bands, among water hyacinths on creeks.
Hyla gratiosa Le Conte, local, not very plentiful.
Chorophilus nigritus Le Conte, common during the winter months.
Chorophilus occidentalis Bd. and Gd., plentiful, in seat- tered companies.
Chorophilus ocularis Holbrook, abundant everywhere. Acris gryllus Le Conte, plentiful on edges of bayous.
Re Ee DECKERT. New York, N. Y.
THE FOOD OF THE LOGGERHEAD TURTLE (Caretta caretta).
A large loggerhead turtle was sent to the Philadelphia Aquarium in October last, where it shortly died. It was secured off the New Jersey coast. Upon an examination of the contents of its alimentary canal, the intestinal tract was found completely filled with the remains of hermit crabs (Pagurus pollicaris) and borers (Natica duplicata). No other food appeared to have been taken. Dr. Henry A. Pilsbry, who also examined the specimen and identified the shells, secured three species of barnacles from its carapace, plastron, and inside its mouth. One of these barnacles he may likely describe as new. H. W. FOWLER,
Philadelphia, Pa.
BELATED SINGING OF TOADS.
Numbers of Common Toads have been observed every year in the water of Patchogue Lake singing as late as the middle of August. These toads behave exactly as toads do in the breeding season, but no females have been seen among them.
FRANK OVERTON, Patchogue, N. Y.
BOX TURTLE ACTIVE IN DECEMBER.
In connection with Mr. Miller’s December record for Pickering’s Hyla (‘ Copeia,” No. 1), a Box Turtle observed by the writer out and active below the Palisades at Englewood, N. J., December 21, 1913, is of interest. J. T. NICHOLS.
Englewood, N. J.
New York, March 14, 1914. No. 4
Ca 2 a ae ee
Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold- blooded vertebrates.
PICKERING’S HYLA ACTIVE IN JANUARY.
On January 30, 1914, I heard two Spring Peepers (Hyla pickeringti) singing at noon in a swamp at Brookhaven, Long Island, N. Y. There would be a series of half a dozen or more peeps followed by a silence of about five minutes; the frogs responded twice to my whistled imitations of their calls. The temperature of the air was 56° F. in the shade; there was a gentle wind blowing from the southwest, and the sun shone dimly through fog clouds. Much ice was still to be seen on the ponds; the temperature had been warm for several days previously. FRANK OVERTON,
Patchogue, N. Y.
A NOTE ON THE PURRING GOURAMI.
Although not as highly colored as most of the Labyrinth-fishes from the Far Hast, Ctenops vitta- tus, commonly called the Purring Gourami, com- mands more than usual attention because of its being able to produce purring sounds.
It is a small fish, seldom over 2 inches in length, and not often seen in aquaria in this country, as it is very delicate as regards changes in temperature and handling. Only recently has it been my good fortume to have a few pairs of them for any length of time.
The purring sound is heard very frequently during the mating period; it is a short, sharp brrr—brrr, like the sound produced by throwing pebbles in rapid succession against glass. In doing it the fish, with gill-covers, tail and fins extended, shakes himself violently, and the purring, accord- ing to its strength, can be heard distinctly for a distance of 25 feet and more.
RICHARD DORN, Upper Montclair, N. J.
AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OBSERVED AT BEVERLY, N. J.
During the past five years I have noted and collected the following amphibians and reptiles in my locality:
Plethodon erythronotus—Under logs in woodland.
Spelerpes bislineatus— Under stones in creek bottoms.
Desmognathus fusca— Under stones in streams.
Bufo americanus— Gardens.
Acris gryllus crepitans—Pond edges.
-Hyla pickeringii—Marshes and gardens.
Hyla versicolor—Garden.
Rana pipiens—Grassy pools.
Rana palustris—Meadows and contiguous woodland.
Rana catesbeiana— Creek borders.
Rana sylvatica—W et woodland.
Natrix sipedon—Creeks and river meadows.
Bascanion constrictor—Low, wet wood growths.
Thamnophis sirtalis—Low meadows. (Both striped and spotted.)
Heterodon platirhinos—Dry fields and woodlands. (Both dark and light phases.)
Sceloporus undulatus—Pine lands.
Chelydra serpentina—Creeks.
Kinosternon pensylvanicum—Muddy streams, takes the brook.
Sternotherus odoratus—Muddy streams, takes the brook.
Chrysemys picta—Creeks.
Clemmys muhlenbergii— Meadow streams.
Clemmys insculpta—Low woods.
Clemmys guttata—Creeks.
Terrapene carolina—Meadows.
J. F. STREET, Beverly, N. J.
RIO GRANDE INDIAN FISH TRAPS
Fish traps are made according to a widespread fashion. Two converging walls of brush that point downstream are built. At the center is an opening where a log is placed to form a waterfall. Below this waterfall is a willow mat which is carefully screened in from the side. The fish are swept out towards the end of this mat, which is above water, and are unable to go back over the little waterfall.
Large fish-nets are made by communal labor out of the fiber of Indian hemp and the wide- leaved yucca. Each man makes his piece of net and brings it to a meeting. There the different pieces are patched together to form a large seine. The mesh is made even by the use of a flat stick over which the tying is done. Stones are used for sinkers and gourds for floaters.
The throwing of the net is a communal enter- prise and the whole village profits by it. The governor of the pueblo has charge, and before the event comes off either he or the war captain goes to the river bank and throws in an offering of cornmeal to placate the river spirit. After the fish have been eaten, many Indians throw the bones back to the river, believing they will again become fish. Others throw the vertebre on ant hills so the ants will clean them nicely and they can be used as beads. H. J. SPINDEN,
New York, N. Y.
EGG-LAYING OF THE LOGGERHEAD TURTLE.
At Cape Lookout, in North Carolina, on July 27, 1913, at about midnight, my captain, with one of the other members of my crew, noticed the fresh tracks of a turtle, and upon following them for a short distance, came upon a very large loggerhead
MY lf
turtle laying her eggs. His description, which I
know to be reliable, follows :
He states that the turtle had almost buried herself in the sand; thai the laying of each egg, at intervals of ten to fiftee1, seconds, was accompanied by a convulsive movement; that she appeared not to notice their presence while laying, although he struck her. He received 25 or 30 of the eggs in his hand as they were laid. After she had finished laying she filled the héle, and, with her flippers, smoothed the sand over. then showed a disposition to defend her nest by r2maining near it, but they handled her roughly and she started for the sea, more than 100 yards distant. The nest was opened and the balance of the eggs secured. The entire number laid was only 87, which is the smallest number I have ever known to be laid by a logger- head turtle. In my experience they usually lay about 150. R. J. COLES,
Danville, Va.
PADDLEFISH FOUND IN MUD.
During the construction of a dam across the Nolichucky River near Greeneville, Tenn., an area of the river bottom was exposed to view by means of a cofferdam on November 9th, 1913.
All the water was pumped out, and during the pumping process no fish were observed in the water.
The rock bed of the river was covered by two feet of clean sand, and over this was three or four inches of fine silt. In chis silt were found half a dozen living fish called by the natives Shovel-nosed Catfish, identified at the American Museum of Natural History as Paddlefish, Polyodon spathula. These fish ranged from 2 to 24 feet in length, the head and paddle being: about half the length of the fish. WARREN TRAVELL,
New York, N. Y.
Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold- blooded vertebrates.
EFFECT OF THUNDER ON FISHES
On July 9 and 31, 1915, when collecting with seines in the bight of Cape Lookout, North Caro- lina, immediately following two violent electrical storms, I found fishes unusually scarce. The precipitation had been heavy on both these occa- sions, but I have in the past noticed scarcity of fish following thunder accompanied by little or no rainfall, and believe that vibration of the ground caused by heavy thunder drives them into deeper er: Reve Olbes 1
Danville, Va.
NOTES ON LEOPARD LIZARDS
Very little has been published on the habits of the Leopard Lizard (Crotaphytes wislizenit), although it is common in many parts of the Southwest.
There seems to be considerable variation in the color and pattern, depending on the sort of country in which they are found. Those living in a region of dark volcanic rocks have a darker pat- tern than those found in the red sandy desert. The Leopard Lizards which I observed last sum- mer were of the latter type, and were chiefly seen
at Tuba, in the Painted Desert, Arizona. The general color of these lizards was light in tone, the ground color was pale buff and the spots of a soft rich brown which blended at the edges. The females were slightly larger than the males and invariably had a series of brilliant orange-red bars along the sides of the body and tail and along the under side of the tail. None of the males which I examined had any red color. The under sides of both sexes are pure white.
These lizards were feeding largely upon cicadas during the month of June. An examination of their stomachs showed this. On one occasion I saw a Leopard Lizard leap over two feet up and catch a cicada which was singing in a low grease- wood bush.
Leopard Lizards probably lay their eggs dur- ing July, although I was unable to make any observations on their breeding habits. During the month of June I saw many adults but no young, while in August and September I saw no adults but quite a few young lizards, evidently of that year’s brood. The young were about five inches in length and were slightly darker than the adults.
Errata.—In Number 1 of * Copeia,” page 2, Crotaphytes collaris should read Crotaphytes baileyi.
DWIGHT FRANKLIN, New York, N. Y. FURTHER NOTES ON THE SALIENTIA OF JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
The two species of ‘“ Leopard frog,” Rana pipiens, Schreb., and Lf. sphenocephala, Cope, are the commonest frogs hereabout. Both species can be found everywhere, from February to Novem- ber. The breeding season is not restricted to a few
weeks or months, as in the North, but frogs may be heard singing in chorus, after heavy rains, dur- ing the time mentioned above. I have found their spawn, in shallow bayous, in February, March, April, May, August and October.
Rana wsopus, Cope, the “Gopher frog,” is a silent frog, very shy and not often seen. Its call is a loud, deep snore, and can be heard from late February to the end of May. These frogs croak only at night, and are then easily caught by the light of a lantern. Outside of the breeding season this frog frequents the burrows of the ‘ Gopher turtle,” Testudo polyphemus, sitting at the mouth of these burrows and vanishing into them at the slightest alarm. Two or three frogs will inhabit the same turtle-burrow. The one-year-old frogs of this species I have repeatedly caught, wandering from the high ground and its burrows into the swampy meadows below, where the insect life is more abundant. On being discovered, they will not dash away with long leaps, like other frogs, but squat close to the ground, motionless, like some toads, and are then easily picked up.
Rana clamitans, Latr., the “ Pond frog,” and Rk. cateshiana, Shaw, the common ‘“ Bull-frog,” frequent the borders of the larger creeks, also per- manent smaller streams. They are not as common here as in the North. Both differ from northern frogs of the same species in having their under sides much darker, some specimens being black with a very few small whitish spots.
Rana grylis, Stgr., is called the “ Pig-frog,” owing to its loud grunting call, repeated three or four times. This is a beautiful frog, closely related to the common Bull-frog. It is one of the shyest of all frogs, usually floating in water two or three
feet deep, under the branches of a floating dead tree, or among other debris, so that it is almost impossible to get within capturing distance with- out alarming it. Its size is 4 to 5 inches from snout to vent. The call is heard at any time, day or night, from deeply wooded bayous, oftenest in March, April and May. R. F. DECKERT.
New York, N. Y.
FISHES IN POLLUTED WATERS
For many years the tidal reaches of the Schuylkill River to the Fairmount dam in Phila- delphia have been greatly polluted, suggesting the impression that they support little or no fish life. I have recently received a number of fishes from this region, through Mr. W. E. Meehan, the Direc- tor of the Philadelphia Aquarium, besides notes on others not sent. The most interesting was a gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) captured from a small run during the past October. Those species commonly noted are Anguilla chrisypa, Notropis hudsonias amarus, N. amenus, Cyprinus carpio, Carassius auratus, Catostomus commersoni, Ameiurus nebulosus, Fundulus heterochitus macro- lepidotus, Ambloplites rupestris, Hupomotis gibbosus, Micropterus salmoides, Perca flavescens and Boleos- oma nigrum olmstedi. Species of more or less unusual occurrence were Pomolobus pseudoharen- gus, Salmo furio, Ameiurus catus, Hsox reticulatus, Pomowis sparoides, Lepomis auritus, L. incisor, Micropterus dolonieu and Morone americana.
H. W. FOWLER, Philadelphia, Pa.
New York, May 15,1914. No. 6
Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold-
blooded vertebrates.
ON SNARING SUCKERS
Mr. Spinden’s article in Copeia (Rio Grande Indian Fishermen) recalled one of the earliest episodes of my youth. When I was ten years old (1847), I was a boarding scholar at Greenville, N. Y., and much addicted to angling, especially in a stream immediately back of our house. A New York boy (I forget his name) came with a mother or aunt to spend a week or so with my teacher’s family, and had a new wrinkle in the line of fish- ing. He had a long “catgut leader,” which he made into a loop and attached it to the end of a pole, and this he used to take suckers ( Catostomus) ; he slowly directed the loop towards the sucker and, leading it over the head, jerked it up when he had led it to the middle of the body and landed the fish. I do not remember that he caught any other fish than suckers in that way, the other fishes being too timid to stand the test.
THEO. N. GILL,
Washington, D. C.
NOTES ON PELAGIC FISHES
The following notes are based on observations made during an Atlantic cruise in the whaling brig ‘* Daisy.” The fish parasites mentioned have been
identified by members of the staffs of the U. National Museum and the Bureau of Animal Industry.
Sphyrana picuda Bloch and Schneider
A specimen taken by the writer on August 22, 1912, latitude 31° 50° N., longitude 50° 49° W., had two large trematodes, Distomum ampullaceum Buttel-Reepen, in its intestine.
Coryphena hippurus Linné
A dolphin caught on August 26, 1912, latitude 32° N., longitude 46° 12' W.., had three whole flying- fish in its ‘stomach, and a trematode. Hir onan clavata (Menzies), in its intestine.
September 2, 1912, latitude 32° 21’ N., longi- tude 43° W. At noon a large piece of flotsam was harpooned from the deck of the ship and towed astern. Many dolphins and other fishes swam under the shelter of the wreckage, and remained with it while it was being drawn along. Fifteen of the fishes, of which five were Oor yphena hippu- rus, were caught on lines from the ship.
November 1, 1912, latitude 29° 18' S., longitude 40° 59° W. In the mouth of a dolphin taken on this date were an amphipod (Mutyphis faba) and two isopods (/dothea metallica).
October 7, 1912, latitude 5° N., longitude 22° 25' W. A large albacore was caught on this date. Within its stomach were young dolphins (Cory- phena), a decapod crustacean, and a pelagic * violet snail” (Janthina).
Hlagatis bipinnulatus (Quoy and Gaimard)
October 3, 1912, latitude 6° 46’ N., longitude 24°35 W. A female of this species which measured more than a meter in length was taken.
October 11, 1912, latitude 3° 20' N., longitude 24° 44' W. A 7-foot shark which swam round and
round the ship on this date, was accompanied not only by several pilot fish, but also by a troup of fifty or more young runners (Hlagatis). They were seen with the shark for several hours.
R. C. MURPHY, Brooklyn, N. Y.
ON THE SYSTEMATIC NAMES OF THE SNAPPING TURTLES
In the first number of “‘ Copeia,” Mr. H. W. Fowler has indicated his belief that there exist in the United States two forms of the Snapping Turtle —a northern one, with a well-developed median keel to the carapace in the adult, and a southern one, common in the Delaware Valley and south, with the median keel but slightly developed, if at all. To the former he reserves Linnzus’ name, Chelydra_ serpentina; for the latter he employs Agassiz’s Chelydra emarginata, based upon speci- mens from Mobile and New Orleans, stating that ‘* Ohelydra lacertina Schweigger is virtually iden- tical” with Ch. serpentina.
Without being able at the present moment to express an opinion as to the existence of two separable forms of the Snapping Turtle in this country, I wish to call attention to the fact that, if they are distinct, the keel-less form must take the name given by Domolber
The latter, in 1812, Kénigsberg. Arch. Naturw. Math; vol: 1p. 293, distinguished between two forms, of which Ch. lacert tina is characterized as having “testa oblonga, scutellis vertebralibus planis, lateralibus carinatis,” while Ch. serpentina is said to have “testa oblonga, trifariam carinato- spinosa,” or precisely the same characters as given by Mr. Fowler. From Duméril’s Cat. Méth. Coll. Rept. Mus. Paris, 1851, p. 15, we learn that Schweigger’s type is still in the Paris Museum of Natural History, viz., ‘‘the one of which the vertebral keels are effaced, a character apon which
he |Schweigger| had based the distinction between this species [ Ch. lacertina], considered new by him, and that which he described under the name of Ch. serpentina.”
Therefore, if there be two forms of Snapping Turtles, their names would be Chelydra serpentina serpentina (Linneus) and COhelydra_ serpentina lacertina (Schweigger):
LEONHARD STEJNEGER, Washington, D. C.
NOTE ON HAWAIIAN GECKOS
During April, 1913, Dr. Henry A. Pilsbry secured two interesting geckos while visiting the Hawaiian Islands. As any additional information to Dr. Stejneger’s account of the ‘ Hawaiian Land Reptiles” (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. XXI, 1899, pp. 783-813) is desirable, I give the following records:
Peropus mutilatus (Wiegmann).
Obtained on the island of Kahoolawe, from which it has not previously been reported.
Hemidactylus garnotii Duméril and Bibron. One secured at Moomouii, on the island of Molokai. Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril and Bibron).
An old example, collected by J. K. Townsend many years ago. is interesting as likely being the first Hawaiian gecko in any museum, especially American. It is still in good preservation. Though labeled simply + Sandwich Islands,” it was probably secured on Oahu. The original label also shows that it was coufused with the preceding species.
H.-W. FOWLER, Philadelphia, Pa.
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Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold- blooded vertebrates.
NOTES ON THE GILA MONSTER.
In May, 1907, the Children’s) Museum in Brooklyn received a fine specimen, 17 inches in length, of the Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectum Cope, captured a few weeks previous near Tucson, Arizona. When it died, February 3, 1914, or almost seven years after captivity, it measured 18 inches.
At first vicious and ever ready with partly open jaws and quick motions of the head to snap at an intruder, the lizard became sluggish after a few weeks, rarely attempting to bite even when handled. It frequently drank water, but refused to take food, such as eggs, whole or beaten, chopped beef, or milk. After two months of such behavior, forcible feeding was resorted to. This was accom- plished by means of a glass tube, 3 inch in diameter and 18 inches long. The procedure briefly was as follows: grasping the lizard just behind the head and holding it in a vertical position the jaws were pried open with a strong pair of dental forceps, the tube inserted to a depth of from 2 to 24 inches and the contents of one beaten egg allowed to run down. Thereafter this operation was repeated once a month. It worked perfectly ; there was no
spilling and the reptile apparently thrived. Dis- section after death showed blood-clots around the heart; otherwise all organs looked normal. Thick layers of fat lined the sides of the abdomen. A few days before, while feeding, the forceps slipped and the reptile’s jaws closed with sufficient force to splinter the glass tube. Injury received through this accident probably caused death.
Shedding of the skin did not occur at regular intervals, but rather continuously, small patches peeling off here and there.
On October 26, 1907, a museum attendant was bitten in the fleshy part of the base of the thumb of the right hand. The reptile’s hold was extremely tenacious, and some time, perhaps a minute, elapsed before the hand was released. The wound showed 6 small punctures. Swelling and discoloration of the hand, accompanied by great pain in the hand and arm, followed quickly. Although immediately placed under medical care, when the _ patient reported for duty two weeks later, he still com- plained of numbness in the hand and arm and occasional dizziness. Lack of mental reserve and a physical condition below the average in this case no doubt contributed in rendering the effect of the Gila Monster’s bite unusually severe.
GEORGE P. ENGELHARDT, Brooklyn, N. Y.
A HYBRID CENTRARCHID.
On December 12-14, 1911, a small collection of fishes was made in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal above Violet’s Lock, about 25 miles above the city of Washington, D. C.
Among the fishes taken was a Centrarchid which is apparently a cross between Chanobryttus
gulosus (Cuvier & Valenciennes) and Lepomis bosus (Linneus). At the time of capture it was noted that the form and color were unusual and unlike any of the Centrarchids common to these waters.
gib-
Following is a table of comparative measure- ments of the hybrid and a typical example of each of the other species of nearly the same size:
Cheenobryttus Lepomis
gulosus Hybrid gibbosus _— Total length in Gm............-.- 19.4 16.3 15.4 Head (without flap) in standard eietGiliia sacs cooppcuopeposadanc 2.67 2.59 2.91 Depth in standard length........ 2.28 2.10 PAK) Bye in head...........-.-.s sees 5.28 4.63 4.00 Severe bel (eho Rs GononooabennccaToos 3.86 3.00 3.65 Ny aU EA Yo copononEceopanpeuDoconce 2.15 2.55 | 3.23
Maxillary reaching...........---- to behind pupil |to front of pupil | to front of eye
UNterOrbital ee. .-icccce eye e101 4.06 3.64 Salil PECtOr al ee rieiietersleretetelelaierleri- ais 1.66 1.42 1.20 Teeth on tongue.............----- present present absent [DYoyeshlidejp pos leccosscononmgoo0boT xe OME xe OTL Galil a reed senaacnpdudch se00noe IDM i al LEROY £ 11) 0 ee 05a Seale formu Bere ses ce ioietarelsisacss/arere 7+11—42 (+5) | 7+12—42 (+5) 7+12—39 (4-4) odoooDe 6 5
Rows of scales on cheeks 6 |
The profile of the hybrid is very different from C. gulosus, the body being short and deep, ovate ; the snout is long, pointed, and the upper profile, from tip of snout to origin of dorsal, is relatively straight.
In C. gulosus the pectoral is broad, distal mar- gin evenly rounded; in the hybrid, it is broad, pointed, upper rays longest, and in L. gibbosus it is narrow, pointed, median rays longest. Although the color pattern of the hybrid is nearest to that of C. gulosus, it is unlike that of any example seen in these waters, the color markings are less distinct
and on lower side and belly blend into those of typical examples of L. gibbosus. The coloration of the fins and the form and coloration of the opercu- lar flap agree with C. gulosus.
The writer has seen other hybrid Centrarchids from the vicinity of Washington, D. C., one of these being apparently a cross between C. gulosus and LL. gibbosus; another between C. gulosus and L. cyanellus Ratinesque. In this connection it is interesting to note that C. gulosus is not a native species, having been introduced into the Potomac by the Fish Commission about 1895.
LEWIS RADCLIFFE, U.S. Bureau of Fisheries.
SOME NOTES ON THE CRICKET FROG ON LONG ISLAND.
The country lying between Flushing and Jamaica is an excellent place for frogs. In the woods and between the woods are many small ponds varying from a small pool to a fair-sized pond, big and deep enough to swim in. Here as early as March 23, 1913, I found and collected sev- eral Cricket Frogs. Later, as the spring advanced, they became quite common, the small gray frogs being the most plentiful. ;
This year, 1914, their appearance was later, April 19 being the first. Two weeks later, May 3, I collected several and heard the song; about 11 o'clock one sang as I watched it. Later in the day, at a pond some two miles northeast, I heard some more, while those in my collecting box sang
several times. HOWARTH S. BOYLE, EHimhurst, N. Y.
New York, July 1, 1914. No. 8.
3 Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold- blooded vertebrates.
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FISHES AND REPTILES FROM ASSUAN, EGYPT.
Mr. C. F. Silvester recently submitted the fol- lowing collection :
FISHES.
Anguilla anguilla (Linneeus). Adult.
Hydrocyon forskalii Cuvier. Adult and half-grown. Alestes baremose (Joannis). One adult.
Labeo coubie Riippell. Adult.
Barbus bynni (Forskal). Small example. Eutropius niloticus (Riippell). Adult. Siluranadon auritus (G. St. Hilaire). Two adults. Porcus bajad (Forskal). Adult.
Synodontis schall (Schneider). One adult.
Clarias lazera Valenciennes. Adult and young. Lates niloticus (Linneus). Adult.
Tilapia nilotica (Linneus). Adult.
REPTILES.
Eryx thebaicus Reuss. Four.
Pryx jaculus (Linneus). Hight.
Coluber diadema Schlegel. Two adults.
Coluber florulentis (G. St. Hilaire). Eight, all ages.
Psammophis sibilans (Linneus). Seven, adult and
young.
Psammophis shokari (Forskal). Six, adult and young.
Naja haje (Linneeus). Four adults.
Cerastes cerastes (Linneus). Two adults.
Ptyodactylus hasselquistii (Donndorff). One adult.
Tarentola annularis (G. St. Hilaire). Four adults.
Agama flavimaculata (Riippell). Adult.
Agama pallida Reuss. Three adults.
Uromastix ornatus Riippell. One adult. This species apparently not previously recorded definitely from Egypt. Back uniform in color.
Varanus griseus (Daudin). Adult.
Varanus niloticus (Linneus). Adult.
Acanthodactylus boskianus (Daudin). One.
Scineus scincus (Linneus). Six, mostly adults.
HENRY W. FOWLER, Philadelphia, Pa.
AMBLYSTOMA OF LONG ISLAND
Three species of Amblystoma (A. punctatum,
A. opacum, A. tigrinum) have been listed as being found in the vicinity of New York City.* Of these only A. tigrinum is mentioned, without specific data, as occurring on Long Island. Observations by the writer and material in the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences show the following Long Island records:
AMBLYSTOMA PUNCTATUM (Uinneus). (Spotted Salamander).
2 specimens Cold Spring Harbor, L. I. Aug., 1900. —G. K. Cherrie and L. Ericson.
3 specimens Forest Park, Brooklyn. May, 1906. Under stones and logs, damp soil. —Geo. P. Engelhardt.
1 specimen Huntington, L. 1 Aug., 1913. In potato patch. —Miss Graeve.
*Sherwood, William L. Salamanders found in the vicinity of New York City. Linn. Soc. 1894-95. No. 7. Ditmars, Raymond L. The Batrachians of the vicinity of New York City. Amer. Mus. Journal, Vol. V, No. 4. Oct., 1905.
This species appears to be common on Long Island. Specimens are frequently brought to the Museum. Its favorite haunts are damp woods, often at some distance from streams and ponds.
AMBLYSTOMA OPACUM (Gravenhorst). (Marbled Salamander). 1 specimen Mt. Sinai, L. I. Sept. 18, 1909. —R. C. Murphy.
1 specimen Baldwin, L. L. July 25, 1911. —Dwight Franklin.
My only experience in finding this species has been in the pine barrens near Lakehurst, N. J., at a place known as “ Bone Hill,” where, in company with Mr. William T. Davis, three specimens were captured, Aug., 1906, in a barrel sunk at one end of a small pool. This pool, though much reduced in summer, never runs dry, and the barrel formed an excellent trap which the salamanders could readily enter in spring, when the water is high, but from which they could not escape in the sumn- mer. For several succeeding seasons A. opacum was found in the barrel, but no other species. When visited during June, 1912, the barrel had collapsed, but the pool swarmed with larve 1 to 13 inches long. Except during the breeding season, this species prefers dry or shady places, as already reported by Cope and others.
AMBYSTOMA JEFFERSONIANUM (Green).
1 specimen Montauk, L. [. May 31, 1913. —Geo. P. Engelhardt.
The capture of this specimen is of unusual interest in furnishing the first record of the species from Long Island and, it appears, also froin the vicinity of New York City. In general it can be
said that this salamander is northern in its distri- bution. Cope records it from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, New York, Ver- mont and Canada; De Kay from Albany and Peru, Clinton County, New York. The Long Island specimen was discovered under a board in a slightly moist depression near the road about half way between Montauk and Montauk Point, a locality abounding in swamps, ponds and small streains. It measures four inches in length, there- fore not fully grown, and in color during life was above glossy black with numerous light-blue blotches and spots; below grayish to lead-colored. During four months of captivity the specimen fed sparingly on meal worms. In alcohol the ground color has changed to olive-brown and the blotches and spots have faded into buff. A wax cast, with natural colors restored, has been prepared.
AMBLYSTOMA TIGRINUM (Green). (Tiger Salamander. )
Reported by William L. Sherwood from Ran- cocas, L. I., but this no doubt should read Rancocas, N. J., as there is no such place on Long Island.
Raymond L. Ditmars refers to this species as “occasionally found on Long Island.”
No specimens or specific data are at hand. Information regarding this species, as well as other salamanders from Long Island, would be much
appreciated. GEORGE P. ENGELHARDT, Brooklyn, N. Y.
New York, August 29, 1914. No. 9.
Published by the contributors to advance the Science of cold- blooded vertebrates.
FURTHER NOTES ON THE SALIENTIA OF JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
Engystoma carolinense, Holbrook, the “ Nar- row-mouth Toad,” is a common Batrachian here, but owing to its nocturnal habits, it is not often seen. After thunder-showers, however, every pool and ditch resounds with its cry, which sounds like a nasal ‘ baa” or “bee” and has also some resem- blance to the noise made by an electric buzzer. I have caught hundreds of these queer little toads, and on August 28, 1911, came across their spawn in a ditch between two potato hills. The eggs are laid in oblong, jelly-like sheets, or flat masses, about 13 inch long and 1 inch wide. The egg- masses contain about 100 to 150 eggs.
Below is what I believe to be the first record of the growth and metamorphosis of this species:
Eggs laid, night of August 27, 1911.
Aug. 28. One egg-mass put in flat enamelled pan in about 14 inch of water. Larve straight- ened out, but still in the egg-imass.
Aug. 30. Larve released from egg-mass, } inch long, with small gill tufts.
Sept. 1. Larve 5’, inch long, gills disappearing. Sept. 2. Larve } inch long, all have lost gills. Sept. 8. Hind legs budding, length of larvie } inch.
Sept. 12. Legs fully developed, arms appearing, tail getting shorter, length of larve 2 inch.
Sept. 14. Larve breathing air, tailis but a short stump.
Sept. 16. Tail gone. the young toads measure 2 inch from snout to vent.
Bufo lentiginosus, Shaw, is the southern repre- sentative of our common (northern) toad, and seems to prefer the neighborhood of human habitations for its abode. Near our house we found them under boards, logs, tubs, heaps of rubbish, ete. Their habits are in every respect similar to those of Bufo americanus, and the call of the male cannot be dis- tinguished from that of the northern species. The toad itself, however, is differently built, the head being wider and higher, and the arms and legs shorter and more delicate. The eyes, also, are larger, and the enormous bony knobs on the large heads of some of the old females give them a sort of resemblance to species of the tropical cystignathoid toads Ceratophrys. Unlike the latter, our toads are gentle creatures, living their life of usefulness in our farms and gardens.
Bufo quercicus, Holbrook, is, I believe, the smallest species of the whole genus Bufo, called the ‘ Oak-toad,” and very common around Jackson- ville. Its cry resembles that of a small chick, very loud and shrill, and may be heard at any time of day or night, sometimes from absolutely dry and dusty fields and roadsides, where these tiny toads hop about in the glaring sunshine, living on the smallest of insects. The full chorus, which is ear- splitting, is, however, heard only at night, after heavy rains. The throat of the male is black, and when the pouch is distended, forms a small elongate bladder, slanting upward, and about ? inch long and 4+ inch in diameter. The spawn is laid in tiny strings, and the metamorphosis is very rapid. The
young toads, when fully developed, are 4 inch or less in length. The adults measure: Male, 1 inch;
female, 14-14 inch. RICHARD F. DECKERT, New York, N. Y.
KING FISH AT CORSON’S INLET, N. J.
There has never been a commercial fishery at this point, but it has long been visited by sports- men. Among the fish sought Jlenticirrhus saxatilis holds a prominent place. The remarkable varia- tion in numbers of this fish in different years is as noticeable here as at other points, the species occur- ring in great abundance for one or two years and then gradually decreasing from year to year until few are caught. For the last fifteen years, how- ever, Which is as far as reliable accounts go, it has never entirely disappeared.
The year 1907 began the latest period of maxi- mum abundance. During the previous August and September large numbers of young fish, less than two inches long, were seen along the sandy marshes of the Inlet, and many hauls of the bait nets contained little else.
The fish usually makes its appearance early in May, the 4th being the earliest date of which I have a note, and remains until October. In 1909 the last seen were October 11th. After the middle of September a northeast storm is usually followed by their disappearance.
Menticirrhus americanus was first noted by me June 27th, 1909, when 8 examples were found in a catch of 95 king fish. July 26th there were 10 examples in a total of 25 of the two species. They
were noted during August and September and until October 11th, when one example was seen. In 1910 they were noted from May 22d to Septem- ber 11th. In 1911, 1912, and 1913 they were found in July and August, in very small numbers com- pared with Menticirrhus saxatilis, which continued abundant.
Young and half grown examples of Menti- cirrhus saxatilis are common in the Inlet during summer, but I have never identified any but full grown specimens of Menticirrhus americanus. It is probable that the latter spawn here, however, as the females frequently contain large and mature
ovaries. R. J. PHILLIPS, Philadelphia, Pa.
FOUR-TOED SALAMANDER ON LONG ISLAND
Two specimens of the Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) were collected a year apart at the same small pool in a second-growth woods at Jamaica North. They were found by tearing the moss apart that grew at the base of some dead trees that were just at the edge of the
pool. HOWARTH S. BOYLE,
Elmhurst, N. Y.
New York, September 15, 1914. No. 10.
Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates.
FISHES FROM POCOTALIGO RIVER, SOUTH CAROLINA
During a recent trip to central South Carolina, May 14-June 1, 1914, I obtained a few fish from the Pocotaligo swamp near Manning in the coastal plain, which have been identified by Mr. Henry W. Fowler, of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and which are now in the collection of that institution. As a list of them may be of interest in tracing the range of the several species, it is here presented.
An examination of numerous strings of fish caught by negro boys in the various channels of the river in the heart of the swamps showed the following species, which are evidently the most common forms, found in such localities, though doubtless there are others: Ameturus natalis, Chenobryttus gulosus, Acantharchus pomotis, Enneacanthus obesus and Hsox americanus. I also obtained in a scoop net a number of Gambusia holbrooki in one of the channels where a small brook entered from the edge of the swamp. At the head of a small tributary swamp, the water from what was originally a large shallow pool, had almost entirely disappeared, leaving a puddle a few feet in diameter literally swarming with little fish,
tadpoles, water beetles and crayfish. The fishes proved to be young Acantharchus pomotis and Hsox americanus. The whole section of country was suffering from an almost unprecedented drought, and many ponds and small streams which undoubt- edly contained fish under normal conditions were absolutely dry, while in the big river swamps the water was entirely restricted to the channels. WITMER STONE, Philadelphia, Pa.
POISONOUS SNAKES NEAR NEW YORK CITY
It will be of interest to herpetologists to learn of the occurrence of poisonous snakes in the southerly portion of Westchester County. For some years past the writer has had reports of the occurrence of copperhead snakes and occasional ‘attlesnakes in the region immediately north of White Plains and south of Mt. Kisco. He has been sceptical of these reports owing to the habits of several species of non-poisonous snakes which vibrate their tails when angry, causing these to be mistaken for rattlesnakes. There is also the com- mon habit among local observers without proper knowledge of mistaking harmless water snakes ( Tropidonotus) and the flat-headed ‘ adders” ( Heterodon) for the copperhead snake. Of late, however, there have been persistent rumors of copperhead snakes in the hills near North White Plains. The country is quite wild and few people roam about the hilly portions. On the 25th of June a friend of the writer confirmed these rumors by capturing a large copperhead snake ( Ancistrodon contortrix) on a hill a short distance from North White Plains. This is the nearest definite record
of a poisonous snake occurring in the vicinity of the boundary of New York City that the writer has ever received—excepting the numerous copper- heads captured on the Palisades along the west shore of the Hudson. The specimen described was caught just ten miles from the city line.
It is particularly interesting to note that the reports of rattlesnakes occurring in southerly West- chester County have also been confirmed by a large yellow specimen being captured on a hill near Sherman Park, this being seventeen miles from the city line. The collector informed the writer that there were several other snakes seen on this same hill, which is of a ledgy character.
RAYMOND L. DITMARS, New York, N. Y.
AN UNUSUAL RED SALAMANDER
A few days ago while chopping cord-wood with my friend Dr. Bremer of the Harvard Medical School, I was surprised to find, under the bark of a hemlock log, a brilliant red salamander. I thought first that I had the red eft form of the common pond salamander (Notophthalmus viri- descens ), though the situation was not one where this creature would be expected. Next I thought of Spelerpes ruber, but I knew instinctively that this also was improbable on account of the loca- tion. An examination showed that it was an aberrantly colored individual of Plethodon erythro- notus. This species, if examined closely in a living state, will often be seen to show scattered, minute red dots in the black areas, showing that the red pigment is not really confined to the mid-dorsal region. It probably exists along with the black pigment wherever this occurs, but only shows when
the more dense black pigment is absent. Now supposing this black pigment to be completely wanting, the result would be a salamander similar to that which we obtained at Cohasset, Mass. I have no doubt, judging from similar cases, that a single unit pigment character has been lost with this, at first sight, rather startling result. While the common term albinism and melanism have one a latin and one a greek origin, I presume for the sake of euphony that this predominance of red pig- ment might well be called erythrism. The specimen is No. 3527 of the Amphibian Collection, Museum of Comparative Zodlogy, Cambridge, Mass. THOMAS BARBOUR, Cambridge, Mass.
NOTE ON THE SWAMP TREE TOAD (PSEUDACRIS TRISERIATUS)
But few definite records have been given for this interesting little amphibian in the Middle States. In New York it does not appear to have been noticed except in the southern part of the state. In New Jersey it has been reported from Signac, Plainfield and in Gloucester County. In Pennsylvania it has been found in the lower part of Chester County, and at Pine Grove in Cumber- land County. Iam now able to add another record based on two living examples in my _ possession, received from M. E.S. Mattern, who secured them in late April, along Lizard Creek, near Bowmans Station, in Carbon County. In Maryland it has been obtained at Jennings, as reported in COPEIA, No. 2. HENRY W. FOWLER,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Edited by J. T. NricHoLs, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
New York, October 15, 1914. No. 11.
Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates.
NOTE ON A NESTING SUNFISH
During the last few days of May, 1914, the writer observed over twenty “nests” of the com- mon sunfish (#. gibbosus) along the shore of Umpawaug Pond, Topstone, Conn.
An examination of a few of these did not dis- close any eggs, although many of them were guarded by the spunky little males.
These nests could readily be seen through the clear water as saucer-like depressions from which the mud and debris had been cleared, exposing the pebbles and sand.
On one of these nest guardians the writer tried an experiment. Dropping a water-logged piece of heavy fishline into the centre of the nest he awaited results. The sunfish eyed it suspiciously, nibbled at it and then bore it off two feet from the edge of the nest. This experiment was repeated with various objects with the same result. Finally a half a dozen were thrown in at once, to the con- sternation of the sunfish, who retreated. Two days later the writer observed the same nest with the objects in place, but along side of it a brand new nest with the little sunfish on guard.
DWIGHT FRANKLIN, New York, N. Y.
FISHES SWALLOWED BY GAR PIKE
As is well known, gar pikes are highly pre- dacious fish. They devour vast numbers of food and game fishes; and in localities where they are abundant they are treated as pests and destroyed by the thousand.
But although their voracious habits are well- known, there do not appear to be any definite records as to the size of the fish they swallow. This is due to the fact that only a very few out of the thousands of gars taken, annually are opened, and among these it is rare to find one containing a fish newly ingested and still recognizable. The following two records accordingly seem worth pre- serving.
During a stay of seven weeks at Moon Lake, Miss., a few years ago, I saw over a dozen large alligator gars (Lepiso ysteus tristach us), some of them over 9 feet long, cut up by negroes to smoke for use as food in the winter. In one instance I saw a fish taken from the stomach of a gar. It was a crappie, or calico bass (Pomoxis sparoides), 6 inches long.
The second record is the following: The New York Aquarium recently received an alligator gar which had been shipped alive from the lower Mississippi at Memphis, Tenn. It died on the way north, and on reaching the Aquarium was turned over to the Museum, where it was skeletonized. It measured 6 feet 6 inches in length, and on being opened it was found to contain a flat-nosed gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) 2 feet 2 inches in length, or exactly one-third its own length. The ingested fish had apparently been but recently swallowed ; it was still intact, only the scales and head bones having begun to disintegrate in a few places. It lay in the “alimentar y canal with the head pointed toward the tail of its captor, indicating that it had been engulfed head first and not from behind.
L. HUSSAKOF, New York, N. Y.
J
THE LONG-NOSED DACE IN THE HACKENSACK, NEW YORK
The widely-distributed fish ( Ahinichthys cata- racte) has only been noted occasionally in New York. Originally described from Niagara Falls it has since been found in the St. Lawrence River, near Ithaca, and at Plattsburg. Mr. Nichols says it is a rare local resident within the fifty-mile limit of New York City. It was, therefore, with inter- est that I secured a fully adult male in nuptial dress, while on a visit with Mr. George Herbert Lings to his father’s estate near Blauvelt, in Rock- land County. This example was taken May 19, 1914, in rocky rapids, in a tributary of the Hack- ensack. Several other fishes, seen at the same time, were believed also to be this species. In quiet water, in the near vicinity, we noted Abramis crysoleucas, Notropis bifrenatus, Catostomus com- mersonnii, Hrimyzon sucetta oblongus, Lepomis auritus (nesting) Hupomotis gibbosus, Rana clamata, R. palustris, R. catesbeiana, R. sylvatica and Chrysemys pieta. HENRY W. FOWLER,
Philadelphia, Pa.
CHUB MACKEREL IN GRAVESEND BAY
Limited numbers of this species (Scomber colias) were taken in Gravesend and Sheepshead Bays, during the late summer of 1913. The average length of specimens taken on September 27, 1913, was 142 mm. During the past summer large numbers of compact schools appeared in early June. On June 27, 1914, they averaged 97 min. in length. Immense numbers were taken for bait and as food for the local colony of Italians. In three hauls of a 100-foot dragnet, 62 pounds were taken. In late August the species was taken by hook at Sheepshead Bay and then averaged 131 mm. in length. The stomachs contained several species of Arthrostraca (Hlasmopus and Ampi thoe ) and small Silversides (Menidia notata). Locally they were used as live bait in the capture of Weak-
fish and Fluke. WM. H. WIEGMANN, New York, N. Y.
A LIST OF THE’ AMPHIBIANS . AND
REPTILES OBSERVED IN RICHLAND
COUNTY, ILLINOIS, IN MAY, 1913
The writer and Miss Crystal Thompson were
sent by the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, to Richland County, [linois, in May, 1913, to obtain specimens and study the habits of Rana areolata Baird. During the field work the following species of amphibians and reptiles were collected :
oA
Ambystoma microstomum (Cope).—Frequently plowed out of mouse and crayfish burrows.
Bufo americanus LeConte.—Common.
Chorophilus nigritis (eConte).—apparently not com- mon; but one specimen observed.
Acris Grytlus LeConte.—Abundant on the shores of ponds.
Rana pipiens Schreber.—Common.
Rana areolata Baird.—Not common; found in crayfish burrows.
Rana catesbiana Shaw.—Abundant.
Ophiosaurus ventralis (Linn.).—Rare.
Heterodon platyrhinus LUatreille.—Three specimens secured.
Natrix fasciatus (Linn.).—Abundant; frequently head- lighted in the ponds at night.
Cyclophis aestivus (Linn.).—One specimen observed.
Bascanion constrictor (Linn.).—Reported as formerly abundant, but now nearly exterminated. Often plowed out of burrows.
Pituophis catenifer sayi (Schlegel).—Common; frequently plowed out of burrows.
Thamnophis sirtalis (Linn.).—few observed.
Chelydra_ serpentina (Linn.)—Common in creeks and ponds.
Terrapene carolina (Linn.).—Very abundant; a series of 23 specimens collected and many more observed.
HELEN THOMPSON GAIGE, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Edited by J. T. NicHoLs, American Museum of Natural History
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Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertabrates
A NEW RECORD FOR THE PROWFISH.
Zaprora silenus Jordan
In the Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences of 1896, (page 203, pl. 20), Jordan de- . scribed as new to Science a species of Scombroid fish which constituted a new genus and family related to the Icosteidae but differing from it in having pharyn- geal teeth.
In the addendum of the Fishes of North and Middle America, Jordan and Evermann (Bull. 47, U.S. Nat. Mus. Vol. 3, 1898, p. 2850, Vol. 4, plate CLII, fig. 1) it is again described, and it is stated that ‘only the type, 29 inches long, known.”
In Fishes of Alaska, Evermann and Goldsbor- ough, it is mentioned and figured, and the statement is made that it is “known only from 2 specimens, the type and one other now in the Provincial Museum at Victoria, both taken in Nanaimo Harbor, British Columbia.”
In “Check List of the Fishes of Canada and Newfoundland,” by Andrew Halkett, Naturalist, Department Marine and Fisheries, 1913, p. 77, it states that “only two specimens are known, one from Nanaimo, (the type) which is in the Provincial Mu- seum, Victoria, and the other from the Straits near Victoria, Vancouver Island.”
In April, 1914, Captam Andrew Weiding
caught on a halibut trawl in 65 fathoms of water in Lat. 58° 5’ N., Long. 149° W., a specimen of this fish which was sent to the Bureau of Iisheries by Edwin Ripley, fish dealer of Seattle, Washington. As the present specimen, which was 33" inches in total length differed somewhat from the typical descrip- tion, the following notes upon it are given: Stand- ard length 74cm. Depth, 18.5 cm. Length of caudal peduncle, 4 cm. Depth of caudal peduncle, 7.2 cm. Pectoral rounded, its longest ray 11 em. Caudal truncate, its longest ray, 11 cm. Pectoral with small scales on base on rays, extending (on middle ray) to 6. 5 em. Dorsal, anal and caudal sealed at base. Dorsal formula, LIV. Anal, 24. Head, 13.7 cm. Eye, 2.4 em. Snout, 3em. Max., 4.5 cm: Enteror- bital, 5.8 cm. Ground color, gray, lighter beneath, punctulated with black dots. Scales with bluish mar- gins. Dorsal and anal without punctulations. Pee- toral dark at base, with dote, distal portion light gray, margin blackish. Caudal whitish at edges and to- wards end, after margin blackish. Pores of head, white. Forehead grayish. Yellow spot in upper axil of pectoral. B. F. tag no. 9547.
Witiiam C. KENDALL, U.S. Bureau of Fisheries.
COMPARATIVE NUMBERS OF LIZARDS AND SNAKES ON DESERT.
Lizards are the most abundant form of desert reptile life. They greatly outnumber the snakes both in point of individuals and species. In the summer of 1913, the writer saw only three species of snakes on the Painted Desert, Arizona. ‘These were the prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus confluentus), bull snake (Pituophis sayt), Arizona ribbon snake(?) (Hutaen- ia megalops).
Among the lizards which are abundant may be mentioned: Bailey’s Collared Lizard, Leopard Liz- ard, Racerunners, Swifts and Horned Lizards.
Dwicut FRANKLIN, New York, N.Y.
MUD TURTLE ATTACKED BY CRAB.
Canoeing in the muddy shallows of a creek at Mastic, Long Island, with Mr. Alan S. Nicolay on August 29, 1914, a large Blue Crab was observed firmly holding a Mud Turtle (Ainosternon pennsyl- vanicum) of perhaps more than half its size, one of whose feet waved helplessly above the surface. ‘The crab probably had it by the neck, and the encounter might well have ended disastrously if not interrupted.
The waters at Mastic are rather unusual. The creek where the encounter took place, though directly tributary to brackish Moriches Bay, is, judging from the water plants, almost, if not quite, fresh. The writer has taken the Painted Turtle in it. The Snap- ping Turtle is common in the Mastic Region; Spotted Turtles are abundant in narrow, more or less fresh creeks in the brackish meadow; the Mud Turtle is frequently seen and the writer has found it on the beach side of the bay. A fisherman at Brookhaven, whose numerous stock of Diamond-backed ‘Terrapin were examined says that this part of the bay is excel- lent for that species. The Box ‘Turtle 1s common in the woods, but the writer has never found the Wood or Musk Turtles in the vicinity.
Mr. Waldron De W. Miller considers the latter species definitely less coast-wise than the Mud ‘Turtle in the vicinity of New York. He finds it at Plain- field, N. J., where he has not taken the Mud Turtle, which he has, however, found in the Cheesequake Marshes, lower Raritan River Marshes, and at Sandy
Hook, N. J. J. T. Nicwots, New York, N. Y.
AMBYSTOMA TIGRINUM IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
Last summer, during the month of August, the writer lived among a number of Wahpeton Sioux, re- siding about Drywood Lake about ten or twelve miles from Sisseton, S. Dakota. The abundance of the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum in Drywood Lake, and indeed in all the ponds thereabouts, was
notable. Both forms occurred, the axolotl phase dwelling in the water, and the salamander phase on the land.
After a rain, or in the morning while the ground was still heavily bedewed, numbers of these salamand- ers could be found crawling over the prairie, espe- cially along the roads. I have seen as many as seven in the course of a couple of miles, and their mangled bodies were often seen where they had been run over, sometimes as much as half a mile from the lakes.
These salamanders delighted in burrowing in the mounds of loose black earth cast up by the pocket gophers on the prairie. ‘They often covered them- selves, leaving only the tip of the nose exposed. If irritated, they would slowly lash their tails, which would exude abundant drops of a thick white milky fluid. The Indians believed this to be poisonous. Great variation in the coloring of these salamanders was observed, some being almost uniformly dull olive, others plainly and strikingly barred with yellow. No specimens under five or six inches in length were observed, and most may have been eight or even nine inches long.
ALANSON SKINNER, New York, N. Y.
Edited by J. T. Nicnots, American Museum of Natural History
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a ee
nti Dut EY ed irs
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New York, December 15, 1914. No. 18
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A NEW RECORD FOR THE LUMPPFISH IN CHESAPEAKE BAY.
This seems to be the second specimen to be re- corded from Chesapeake Bay. It was caught in a trap off Wolf Trap Light, April 29, 1914, by E. L. Wilson, and later taken to the Bureau of Fisheries for identification. The specimen was a large one about 14% inches long, and full of ripe or nearly ripe egos. B. F. tag 9548.
In Forest and Stream, August 3, 1907, page 178, Barton A. Bean records the capture of an adult female Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus), at Buckroe Beach, Chesapeake Bay, about two miles north of Old Pomt Comfort. It was included in a shipment of fish to Messrs. Sheaffer & Stuart, of Washington, D. C., by Thomas V. Weber, April 14. After de- scribing the specimen Bean says:
“The specimen here recorded is a female, appar- ently having spawned; seventy eggs passed freely from the fish while being measured.”
Witiiam C. KEenpatt, U.S. Bureau of Fisheries.
NOTES ON NEW JERSEY FISHES.
During the past season a number of New Jer- sey fishes have fallen under my notice. Though most of the species are common, several interesting associations and records are here given:
On May 19th, while at Sea Isle City, Carcharias littoralis, aja erinacea, R. ocellata, R. laevis, Pomo- lobus aestivalis, Brevoortia tyrannus, Scomber scom- brus, Sarda sarda, Pomatomus saltatrix, Porontus triacanthus, Centropristis striatus, Stenotomus chry- sops, Cynoscion regalis, Micropogon undulatus, Spheroides maculatus, Prionotus carolinus, P. striga- tus, Paralichthys dentatus, Lophopsetta maculata, Mierluccius bilinearts, Gadus callarias, Urophycis regius and U. chuss were found; July 20th, Carchar- hinus milbertt and Echeneis naucrates were ob- tained; July 24th, Sphyrna zygaena, Fundulus ma- jalis, Menidia menidia notata, T'rachinotus carolinus, Syngnathus fuscus and Menticirrhus saxatilis; Aug- ust 29th, Z'rachinotus falcatus, Orthopristis chrysop- terus and Bairdiella chrysura.
Mr. W. J. Fox, who also secured some of the above, obtained Caranx crysos, Stephanolepis his- pidus and Anguilla chrisypa at Carson’s Inlet on August 11th. The last was an adult, and remarkable for its deformed body, being twisted in rather even undulations. I examined a small Cyclopterus lumpus, taken in the pound at Ocean City in late April, and was informed several others were also ob- tained. Aleutera schoepfu and Urophycis regius were also secured there June 21st; and Synodus foetens at Beesley’s Point on September 10th.
Among: fresh-water fishes, those of the Alex- socken Creek, above Lambertville, obtained July 22nd, contained three adults of Rhinichthys catarac- tae. ‘These were the first I ever collected in New Jersey, and were taken in the rapids, associated with the very common R. atronasus. Semotilus atromacu- latus, Notropis cornutus, Fundulus diaphanus, and Boleosoma nigrum olmstedi were also found. R. atronasus were very abundant in Jacobs Creek, near Harborville. A small collection from the Pompton River, near Mountain View, in Passaic County, contains Semotilus bullaris, Notropis photogenis amoenus, Ambloplites rupestris, Lepomis auritus, Eupomotis gibbosus and Micropterus dolomieu.
Henry W. Fow ter, Philadelphia, Pa.
SALAMANDERS COLLECTED IN WEST- CHESTER COUNTY, N. Y.
Amblystoma opacum Gravenh. Amblystoma punctatum Linn. Amblystoma jeffersonianum Green. Hemidactylium scutatum 'Vschudi. Plethodon cinereus Green. Plethodon cin. erythronotus Green. Plethodon glutinosus Green. Spelerpes bilineatus Green. Speler pes ruber Daudin.
10. Desmognathus fusca Raf.
11. Diemyctylus viridescens Rat.
12. Diemyctylus vir. miniatus Raf.
All these salamanders have been found by the writer to be fairly abundant, except the three species given below:
Amblystoma jeff ersonianum Green, is my latest find. One specimen, only, was taken at Silver Lake Park, near White Plains, N. Y., about 1,000 feet from the lake, on a hill in the woods, at an altitude of about 100 feet from the level of the lake. ‘The salamander was under a large flat rock, exposed to full sunshine, in soft, perfectly dry, almost dusty soil. It was covered with dust, but upon being handled, this rubbed off, and showed the salamander in its typical colormg. ‘The color is dark brown above, with small, light blue spots on the sides, limbs, and sides of the tail; undersides bluish-black to gray. Length 4% inches from tip of snout to tip of tail. Following is a condensed description taken from Bulletin No. 34, U. S. Nat. Mus., pp. 89-92:
“Body cylindrically more slender . . . . than A. Punctatum. . . . The head is elongated, with muz- zle obtuse . . . . The eyes arelarge ... . the gular fold is distinct . . . . that behind the angle of the jaws is inconspicuous, as is the lateral parotoid fur- row. There are twelve costal furrows. The tail is a little shorter than the body and head. It is oval in cross-section in the middle . . . . without any ridge or crest . . . . it becomes more and more compressed towards the tip. The limbs are largely developed and the toes very long. The digits are cylindrical and
er Oe eee
without any basal web.”
These external identification characters corre- spond exactly with the spec:men.
Hemidactylium scutatum ‘Tschudi has_ been taken repeatedly at Silver Lake Park, in the hills near the lake, usually in or under decaying logs. At first glance it resembles a pale specimen of Plethodon cinereus erythronotus, but the color is more nearly yellowish-brown. ‘The undersides decide the ques- tion, bemg pure milky-white with small dark dots in Hemidactylium but lead colored, or pinkish-gray in Plethodon. 'The costal grooves are also very much more pronounced than in the other genus.
Spelerpes ruber Daud., one specimen (young), found in a brook near Silver Lake, is too well known to require description here. I only mention it on ac- count of its apparent rarity in the district.
Ricuarp F, Deckert, New York, N.Y.
ON ALFARO CULTRATUM.
Alfaro cultratum is one of the most interesting of the killifishes, and is abundant in the swift streams of certain portions of the lower Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica. Its most curious feature is a double row of scales that extend below the ventral body line, forming a thin edge, which is continuous with the keel formed by the flattened anterior portion of the body,
This is an evident adaptation for life in the very fast water which the fish inhabits, although the species does very well in an ordinary aquarium. It is one of the live bearing forms, and on one occasion a captive female appr oximately 70 mm. in length gave birth to 65 young, and, about three months lates to 75. Lhe young average about 7 mm. in length, and the scales of the keel are plainly visible when the fish is held in a proper light. Most live-bearing Poecillidae breed the year round in aquaria, and it seems probable that, where conditions are favorable, they do so also in ihe wild state.
Ler S. CranDAtt, New York, N.Y.
Edited by J. T. Nicuots, American Museum of Natural History PRICE FIVE CENTS
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INDEX TO DATE
Abramis crysoleucas, 1, 11. Acantharchus pomotis, 10. Acanthodactylus boskianus, 8. Acipenser sturio, 2.
Acris gryllus, 3, 11.
Acris gryllus crepitans, 4, 7. aesopus, Rana, 3, 5. aestivalis, Pomolobus, 18. aestivus, Cyclophis, 11. Agama flavimaculata, 8. Agama pallida, 8.
Alestes baremose, §8.
Alfaro cultratum, 13. Alutera schoepfii, 2, 13. Ambloplites ruptestris, 8, 13.
Amblystoma jeffersonianum, 8, 13.
microstomum, 11. Amblystoma opacum, 8, 13. Amblystoma punctatum, 8, 13. Amblystoma tigrinum, 8, 12. Ameiurus catus, 1, 5. Ameiurus natalis, 10. Ameiurus nebulosus, 1, 5. americana, Morone, 2, 5. americanus, Bufo, 2, 4, 11. americanus, Esox, 10. americanus, Menticirrhus, 9. amoenus, Notropis, 8, 13. Ampithoe, 11.
ampullaceum, Distomum, 6. analostanus, Notropis, 1. Ancistrodon contortrix, 2, 10. Anguilla anguilla, 8. anguilla, Anguilla, 8. Anguilla chrisypa, 1, 2, annularis, Tarentola, 8. areolata, Rana, 11. argyrophanus, Stolephorus, 3. atromaculatus, Semotilus, 13. atronasus, Rhinichthys, 13. auratus, Carassius, 8. auritus, Lepomis, 1, 5, 11, 13. auritus, Siluranadon, 8. baileyi, Crotaphytes, 1, 5. Bairdiella chrysura, 2, 13. bajad, Poreus, 8.
Balistidae, 3.
Barbour, T., 10.
Barbus bynni, 8.
baremose, Alestes, 8. Bascanion constrictor, 4, 11. beryllina cerea, Menidia, 2. bifrenatus, Notropis, 11. bilinearis, Merluccius, 13. bilineatus, Spelerpes, 2, 4, 13.
Amblystoma
5, 13.
bipinnulatus, Elagatis, 6. Boleosoma nigrum olmstedi, 1, 1133. borealis, Sphyraena, 3. boskianus, Acanthodactylus, 8. Boyle He S75) 9: 3revoortia tyrannus, 2, 3, 13. Bufo americanus, 2, 4, 11. Bufo fowleri, 3. Bufo lentiginosus, 3, 9. 3ufo quercicus, 3, 9. bullaris, Semotilus, 1, 13. bynni, Barbus, 8. eallarias, Gadus, 13. canadus, Rachycentron, 2. Caranx icrySos, 2, 13: Carassius auratus, 8. Carcharhinus milberti, 2, 13. Carcharias littoralis, 13. earetta, Thalassochelys, 2, 3 carolina, Terrapene, 3, 4, 11 carolinense, Engystoma, 3, 9. ecarolinus, Prionotus, 1, 13. earolinus, Trachinotus, 2, 13.
carpio, Cyprinus, 1, 5.
catesbiana, Rana, 3, 4, 5, 11, 11. eataractae, Rhinichthys, 11, 13 Catostomus, 6.
Catostomus commersonii, 1, 5,
ecatus, Ameiurus, 1, 5
Centropristes striatus, 2, 13. ecepedianum, Dorosoma, 8. Cerastes cerastes, 8. cerastes, Cerastes, 8. Chaenobryttus gulosus, 7, 9. Chelydra emarginata, 1, 6. Chelydra lacertina, 1, 6. Chelydra serpentina, 1, 2, 4, 6, 22 Chilomycterus schoepfi, 2. Chorophilus nigritis, 3, 11. Chorophilus occidentalis, 3. Chorophilus ocularis, 3. chrisypa, Aneuilla, a 2) 5,) Is: Chrysemis picta, 4, 11, 12. ehrysops, Stenotomus, 13. chrysopterus, Orthopristis, 2, 1 chrysura, Bairdiella, 2, 13. ehusss Urophyeis; 1235 13) cinerea, Hyla, 3.
New York, December 31, 1914.
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11
Mt,
>.
cinereus erythronotus, Plethodon,
24, 110; 13. clamitans, Rana, 2, 3, 5, 11. Clarias lazera, 8. clavata, Hirundinella, 6.
Clemmys guttata, 4, 12. Clemmys insculpta, 4, 12. Clemmys muhlenbergii, 4. Cnemidophorus, 13. CWoless ee. sne colias, Scomber, 11. ecollaris, Crotaphytes, 1. Coluber diadema, 8. Coluber florulentis, 8. commersonii, Catostomus, 1, 5, 11. confluentus, Crotalus, 12. constrictor, Bascanion, 4, 11. contortrix, Ancistrodon, 2, 10. cornutus, Notropis, 1, 18. Coryphaena hippurus, 6. coubie, Labeo, 8. Granda, Wa. 5! dle. Crotalus confluentus, 11. Crotalus horridus, 2, 10. Crotaphytes baileyi, 1, 5, 12. Crotaphytes collaris, 1 Crotaphytes wislizenii, 5, 12. crumenophthalmus, Trachurops, 3. erysoleucas, Abramis, 1, 11. erysos, Caranx, 2, 13. Ctenops vittatus, 4. cultratum, Alfaro, 138. curema, Mugil, 8. ecyanella, Lepomis, 7. Cyclophis aestivus, 11. Cyclopterus lumpus, 13, 13. Cynoscion nebulosus, 2. Cynoscion regalis, 2, 13. Cyprinodon variegatus, 2. Cyprinus carpio, 1, 5. Dasyatis say, 2. Deckert, R. F., 3, 5, 9, 13. dentatus, Paralichthys, 1, 2, 13. Desmognathus fusca, 2, 4, 13. diadema, Coluber, 8. diaphanus, Fundulus, 2, 138. Diemyctylus viridescens, 2, 10, 13. Diemyectylus viridescens miniatus, 113. Distomum ampullaceum, 6. Ditmars, R. L., 10. dolomieu, Micropterus, 1, 5, 13. Dorn, R., 4 Dorosoma cepedianum, 8. duplicata, Natica, 8. EMcheneididae, 3. Hcheneis naucrates, 13. erinacea, Raja, 138. eglanteria, Raja, 2. EHlagatis bipinnulatus, 6. Llasmopus, 11. emarginata, Chelydra, 1. Engelhardt, G. P., 7, 8. Engystoma carolinense, 3, 9. Enneacanthus obesus, 10. Erimyzon sucetta oblongus, 11. Eryx jaculus, 8. Eryx thebaicus, 8. Esox americanus, 10. Esox reticulatus, 5. Eupomotis gibbosus, 1, 5, 11, 11, gy vo. Mutaenia megalops, 12. fMutropius niloticus, 8. Eutyphis faba, 6. faba, Eutyphis, 6. faleatus, Trachinotus, 13. fario, Salmo, 5. fasciatus, Natrix, 11. femoralis, Hyla, 3. ferruginea, Limanda, 1. flavescens, Perea, 5. flavimaculata, Agama, 8. florulentis, Coluber, 8. foetens, Synodus, 13. forskalii, Hydrocyon, 8. Howler Eley) Lae oor amon UG is MOS Ay se
fowleri, Bufo, 3.
E’ranikdiinty) Isl) eo yells
freminvillii, Myliobatis, 2.
Fundulus diaphanus, 2, 13.
Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepi- dotus, 2; 5.
Fundulus luciae, 2.
Fundulus majalis, 2, 13.
fusca, Desmognathus, 2, 4, 13.
fuscus, Syngnathus, 2, 13.
Gadus callarias, 13.
Gaige, El. Lae
Gambusia holbrooki, 10.
garnotii, Hemidactylus, 6.
gibbosus, Eupomotis, 1, 5, 7, 11, Tale alee
Gilly TSN. Ge
glutinosus, Plethodon, 2, 13.
gratiosa, Hyla, 3.
griseus, Varanus, 8.
grylio, Rana, 38, 5.
gryllus, Acris, 3, 11.
gryllus crepitans, Acris, 4, 7.
gulosus, Chaenobryttus, 7, 10.
guttata, Clemmys, 4, 12.
haje, Naja, 8. 4
hasselquistii, Ptyodactylus, 8.
Heloderma suspectum, 7.
Hemidactylium scutatum, 9, 138.
Hemidactylus garnotii, 6.
heteroclitus macrolepidotus, Fundulus, 2, 5.
Heterodon platyrhinus, 4, 11.
Hippocampus hudsonius, 1.
hippurus, Coryphaena, 6.
Hirundinella clavata, 6.
hispidus, Stephanolepis, 18.
holbrooki, Gambusia, 10.
Homo sapiens, 2, 4.
horridus, Crotalus, 2, 10.
hudsonius, Hippocampus, 1.
hudsonius amarus, Notropis, 1, 5.
Hussakof, d.,- 14.
Hydrocyon forskallii, 8.
Hyla cinerea, 3.
Hyla femoralis, 3.
Hyla gratiosa, 3.
Hyla pickeringii, 1, 2, 3, 3,
Hyla squirella, 3.
Hyla versicolor, 4.
Ianthina, 6.
Idothea metallica, 6.
incisor, Lepomis, 5.
insculpta, Clemmys, 4, 12.
jaculus, Eryx, 8.
jeffersonianum, Amblystoma, 8, 13.
Keim, T. D., 2.
Kendall iw, (Cy 220135
Kinosternon pennsylvanicum, 4, 11.
Labeo coubie, 8.
Lacertina, Chelydra, 1.
laevis, Raja, 13.
Lates niloticus, 8.
lazera, Clarias, 8.
Leiostomus xanthurus, 2.
lentiginosus, Bufo, 3, 9.
Lepidodactylus lugubris, 6.
Lepisosteus platostomus, 11.
Lepisosteus tristoechus, 11.
Lepomis aunitus: 1.5; wi 13.
Lepomis cyanellus, 7.
Lepomis incisor, 5.
lepturus, Trichiurus, 2.
Limanda ferruginea, 1.
littoralis, Carcharias, 13.
Lobotes surinamensis, 1.
longicauda, Spelerpes, 2.
Lophius piseatorius, 2.
Lophopsetta maculata, 1, 2, 13.
luciae, Fundulus, 2.
lugubris, Lepidodactylus, 6.
lumpus, Cyclopterus, 13, 13.
maclura, Pteroplatea, 2. :
4) 4:
maculata, Lophopsetta, 1, 2, 1s. maculatus, Scomberomorus, 2. maculatus, Spheroides, 2, 13. majalis, Fundulus, 2, 13. marinus, Tylosurus, 2. megalops, Hutaenia, 12. Menidia beryllina cerea, 2.
Menidia menidia notata, 2, 11, 13. menidia notata, Menidia, 2, 11, 13.
Menticirrhus americanus, 9. Menticirrhus saxatilis, 2, 9, 13. Merluccius bilinearis, 13. metallica, Idothea, 6. Micropogon undulatus, 2, 13. Micropterus dolomieu, 1, 5, 13. Micropterus salmoides, 1, 5. microstomum, Amblystoma, 11. milberti, Carcharhinus, 2, 13. Miller, W. DeW., 1.
mitehilli, Stolephorus, 2. Morone americana, 2, 5.
Mugil curema, 3. muhlenbergii, Clemmys, 4. MibiAOlai IR Oxy AE By Us multilatus, Peropus, 6. Myliobatis freminvillii, 2. Naja haje, 8.
natalis, Ameiurus, 10.
Natica duplicata, 3.
Natrix fasciatus, 11.
Natrix sipedon, 2, 4. naucrates, Echeneis, 13. nebulosus, Ameiurus, 1, 5. nebulosus, Cynoscion, 2. Nichols, Jee 1, 3; 3, 22. nigritis, Chorophilus, 8, 11. nigrum olmstedi,
nilotica, Tilapia, 8. niloticus, Hutropius, 8. niloticus, Lates, 8. niloticus, Varanus, 8. Notropis amoenus, 5, 13. Notropis analostanus, 1. Notropis bifrenatus, 11. Notropis cornutus, 1, 13.
Notropis hudsonius amarus, 1, 5.
obesus, Enneacanthus, 10. oblongus, Paralichthys, 1. occidentalis, Chorophilus, 3. ocellata, Raja, 3, 13. ocularis, Chorophilus, 3. odoratus, Sternothaerus, oglinum, Opisthonema, 2. onitis, Tautoga, 3. opacum, Amblystoma, 8, 13. Ophiosaurus ventralis, 11. Opisthonema oglinum, 2. ornatus, Uromastix, 8. Orthopristis chrysopterus, 2, 13. Overton, F., 3, 4.
Pagurus pollicaris, 3.
pallida, Agama, 8.
palustris, Rana, 2, 4. Paralichthys dentatus, 2 oe Paralichthys oblongus, 1. pectinatus, Pristis, 2.
per wan tcar, Kinosternon, 4,
4, 12.
Perca flavescens, 5. Peropus multilatus, 6. IEAMTINDHOS, JR, dla, ty Os Phrynosoma, 13. pickeringii, picta, Chrysemis, 4, 11, 12. picuda, Sphyraena, 6. Piprens; Rana, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11. piseatorius, Lophius, 2. Pituophis sayi, 11, 12. platostomus, Lepisosteus, 11. platyrhinus, Heterodon, 4, 11.
Plethodon cinereus erythronotus,
ay Ga AN Saley
Boleosoma, 1, 5,
Fivda, 15 2, 3,93, 4,4.
Plethodon glutinosus, 2, 138. pollicaris, Pagurus, 3. Polyodon spathula, 4. polyhemus, estudo, 5. Pomatomus saltatrix, 2, 13. Pomolobus aestivalis, 13. Pomolobus pseudoharengus, 3, 9. pomotis, Acantharchus, 10. Pomoxis sparoides, 5, 11. Poreus bajad, 8. Poronotus Triacanthus, 2, 13. Prionotus carolinus, 1, 13. Prionotus strigatus, 2, 13. Pristis pectinatus, 2. Psammophis shokari, 8. Psammophis sibilans, &. Pseudacris triseriatus, 2, 10. pseudoharengus, Pomolobus, 3, 5 Pteroplatea maclura, 2. Ptyodactylus hasselquistii, 8. punctatum, Amblystoma, §, 13. quercicus, Bufo, 3, 9. Rachycentron canadus, 2. Radcliffe, L., 7. Raja eglanteria, 2. Raja erinacea, 13 Raja laevis, 13. Raja ocellata, 3, 13. Rana aesopus, 3, 5. Rana areolata, 11. Rana cateshbiana, 3, 4, 5, 11, 11. Rana clamitans, PA Oe Be itil, Raa SEyLiO; oF os Rana palustris, 2, 4. Pehateh joyuonkevaisy, Ay By Hy ayy JBL tana sphenocephala, 3, 5. Rana. sylvatica, 2, 4, 11. regalis, Cynoscion, 2, 13. regius, Urophycis, 18. reticulatus, Esox, Rhinichthys atronasus, 13. Rhinichthys cataracts, 11, 13. ruber, Spelerpes, 10, 18. rupestris, Ambloplites, 5, 18. Salmo fario, 5. salmoides, Micropterus, 1, 5. saltatrix, Pomatomus, 2, 18. sapiens, Homo, 2, 4. Sarda sarda, 13. sarda, Sarda, 13. saxatilis, Menticirrhus, 2, 9, 13. say, Dasyatis, 2. sayi, Pituophis, 11, 12. Sceloporus undulatus, 4. sehall, Synodontis, 8. schoepfi, Chilomyecterus, 2. schoepfii, Alutera, 2, 13. Scincus, scincus, 8. scincus, Scincus, 8. Scomber colias, 11. Scomber scombrus, 13. Scomberomorus maculatus, 2. scombrus, Scomber, 13. secutatum, Hemidactylium, 9, 13. Semotilus atromaculatus, 138. Semotilus bullaris, 1, 13. peepenn as Chielydra, 15) 2; 4;, 11, 9 serpentina, Testudo, 1. shokari, Psammophis, 8. sibilans, Psammophis, 8. silenus, Zaprora, 12. Siluranodon auritus, 8. sipedon, Natrix, 2, 4. sirtalis, Thamnophis, op 4,0 Skinner, A., 12. Sparoides, Pomoxis. i, dale spathula, Polyodon, 4. Spelerpes bilineatus, 2, 4, 13. Spelerpes longicauda, 2. Spelerpes ruber, l(t), 13. sphenocephala, Rana, By 43) Spheroides maculatus, 2, 13
Sphyraena borealis, 3. tigrinum, Amblystoma, 8.
Sphyraena picuda, 6. Tilapia nilotica, 8.
Sphyrna zygaena, 2, 13. Trachinotus carolinus, 2, 13. Spinden, H. J., 2, 4. Trachinotus faleatus, 13. squirella, Hyla, 38. Trachurops crumenophthalmus, 3. Stejneger, L., 6. Mrawells SW. 4:
Stenotomus chrysops, 13. triacanthus, Poronotus, 2, 13. Stephanolepis hispidus, 13. Trichiurus lepturus, 2. Sternothaerus odoratus, 4, 12. triseriatus, Pseudacris, 2, 10. Stolephorus argyrophanus, 3. tristoechus, Lepisosteus, 11. Stolephorus mitehilli, 2. Tylosurus marinus, 2.
Stone, W., 10. tyrannus, Brevoortia, 2, 3, 13. Street, J. &., 4. undulatus, Micropogon, 2, 13. striatus, Centropristes, 2, 18. undulatus, Sceloporus, 4. strigatus, Prionotus, 2, 13. Uromastrix ornatus, 8.
sturio, Acipenser, 2. Urophyeis chuss, 1, 3, 18. sucetta oblongus, Erimyzon, 11. Urophycis regius, 13. surinamensis, Lobotes, 1. Varanus griseus, 8. suspectum, Heloderma, 7. Varanus niloticus, 8.
Swifts, 13. variegatus, Cyprinodon, 2. sylvatica, Rana, 2, 4, 11. ventralis, Ophiosaurus, 11. Syngathus fuscus, 2, 13. versicolor, Hyla, 4. Synodontis schall, 8. viridescens, Diemyctylus, 2, 10, Synodus foetens, 13. 1123.
Tarentola annularis, 8. viridescens miniatus, Diemyctylus, Tautoga onitis, 3. lB},
Terrapene carolina, 3, 4, 11, 12. vittatus, Ctenops, 4.
Testudo polyphemus, 5. Wiegmann, W. H., 3, 11. Testudo serpentina, 1. wislizenii, Crotaphytes, 5. Thalassochelys caretta, 2, 3, 4. xanthurus, Leiostomus, 2. Thamnophis sirtalis, 2, 4, 11. Zaprora silenus, 12. thebaicus, Eryx, 8. zygaena, Sphyrna, 2, 18.
Thunder, 5.
Edited by J. T. Nicnots, American Museum of Natural History
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DO SNAKES SWALLOW SMALL MAM- MALS HEADS OR TAILS FIRST?
While in the Yosemite valley, July 11-15, 1914, I saw three individuals of the rattlesnake (Crotalus oregonus) of that region. ‘Two of these were seen July 13, just above Nevada Falls at an elevation of about 6,000 feet, on the trail to Clouds Rest. ‘The third was seen July 15, in the entrance to the valley near Cascade Falls, elevation about 3,445 feet. The first of the two seen on the way to Clouds Rest was lying on some rocks at the side of the trail. It was, of course, soon killed by members of our party.
The snake was about two feet long and had seven rattles and a button. A very noticeable swelling or enlargement just amidships, as well as its sluggish condition, suggested that it had recently swallowed an animal of some kind.
Like Kipling’s Elephant’s child, we were all filled with “insatiable curiosity”, and not being afraid of being spanked, at once asked a new fine question: “What did the rattler have for breakfast?” 3
The obvious way to find out was to cut the rattler open, which we proceeded to do. I held the snake with my left hand near its head and the other abaft the swelling, while Mr. C. E. Crunsky performed the surgical operation, and the new fine question was answered—the rattler had a fine adult Merriam Chip- munk (Hutamias merriami) for its breakfast. And the rattler had swallowed it tail first!) The head of
the chipmunk was towards the snake’s head, and its legs, tail and fur all lay back toward the snake’s tail, smooth and in perfect order. ‘This surprised us very much. We could hardly see how the chipmunk could go down tail first without turning the tail, or some of the legs, or the fur, the other way. We could scarcely believe our own eyes; some of the party were even disposed to grant there had been an error in ob- servation. But as all members of the party (there were six or seven of them) were agreed as to the fact, it is evident that this chipmunk had been swallowed tail first.
A few days later Dr. J. Grinnell sent me a pho- tograph taken August 1, 1914, by Mr. Edward R. Warren of Colorado Springs, which showed a gopher snake mn the act of swallowing a chipmunk tail first— only the head of the chipmunk remained exposed.
BarRTtoN WARREN EVERMANN, San Francisco, Cal.
SOME AMPHIBIANS NEW TO WHITE- FISH POINT, MICHIGAN
During the summer of 1914, the biological sur- vey of the Whitefish Pomt region, Chippewa County, Michigan, which is being made by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, was continued, and additional data on the reptile-amphibian fauna were secured. ‘The three amphibians listed below were ob- tained for the first time, and increased to sixteen the total number of species known to occur in the region. (See Ann. Rept. Mich. Acad. Sci., 1912, pp. 215- 217.) . Ambystoma jeffersonianum (Green).—Found under old logs at the edge of black ash and cedar swamps.
Diemictylus viridescens Rafinesque.—But one specimen was obtained. This was found in a decayed log at the edge of a marsh.
Hyla_ pickeringii Holbrook.—Common in the hardwood forests and tamarack swamps.
Heten THompson GAIGE, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
THE GENUS CRYPTOTOMUS COPE
A recent examination of the type species (C. roseus Cope), compared with other members of this genus, convinces me that at least two well-marked groups occur, which may be admitted to sub-generic rank. ‘They may be set forth as follows:
Sub-genus Cryptotomus Cope.
Type Cryptotomus roseus Cope.
Body elongate, labroid in appearance. Front profiles attenuate. Cutting-edge of jaw teeth formed of several overlapping series, each tooth distinct, and posterior flaring out behind. Scales on breast greatly enlarged. One row of large scales on cheek. Dorsal spines very flexible. :
One species, brightly colored.
Sub-genus Nicholsina sub-gen. nov.
Type Cryptotomus beryllinus Jordan and Swain.
Body moderately long, scaroid in appearance. Front profiles gently convex. Cutting-edge of jaw ‘teeth formed of nearly continuous or single series, with only few anterior distinct. Free posterior ca- nines frequent. Scales mostly uniform in size, not enlarged on breast. Cheek with one or two rows of large “scales. Dorsal spines flexible.
Several species, small, and usually of toh or olive coloration. Besides the type, they are C. den- tiens (Poey), C. retractus (Poey), C. ustus. (Valen- ciennes) and C. auropunctatus (Valenciennes), in America.
Dedicated to Mr. John T. Nichols, of the Amer- ican Museum of Natural History.
Henry W. Fowter, Philadelphia, Pa.
A NOTE ON A DRAWING OF CARANX BARTHOLOMAEI CUVIER & VALEN- CIENNES.
In the Fishes of North and Middle America, Jordan & Evermann (Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. vol. iv., 1900), plate CXLII, fig. 389 is erroneously la- belled Caranwx latus. This dr awing was made by H. L.. Todd from a specimen colle acted by Vinal N. Ed-
wards at Woods Hole, Mass., U. S. National Muse- um No. 20247. Upon examining the fish in the con- tainer to which this number is given (labeled C. fallax), the writer found seven specimens, six of these were C.. bartholomaei and one was C. latus. From the form of the fish, the lack of elevation of anterior rays of soft dorsal and anal; the greater number of soft rays (26 dorsal rays in drawing, 21 or 22 in latus ; 22 anal rays in drawing, 16 to 18 in latus) ; the absence of a black blotch on opercle; the short maxil- lary, its tip not reaching anterior margin of pupil, and curved and straight portions of lateral line sub- equal, it is evident that the drawing was made from one of the specimens of C. bartholomaei. Lewis Ravcrirre, U.S. Bureau of Fisheries.
DEKAY’S SNAKE IN THE LATE FALL Previous to November 26, 1914, there were sev- eral drops of temperature to below the freezing point, 18 degrees above zero being reached on one occasion. On the above date, the eminent was milder, the ther- mometer registering as high as 50 degrees. While the writer was walking near the corner of Kings- bridge Road and University Avenue, he found a young DeKay’s snake (Storeria dekayi), about 8cm. in length. It was quite active and when released,
quickly disappeared under the dried grass. LEE S. CRANDALL, New York NOY:
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Ve . ant cal awe << ~ = = o— NA/ 5 a NS =—=—S= were i oy ay : ( ° SS)
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NOTE ON SOME GYMNOTID FISHES.
The following species of this family (Gymno- tide) were noticed in the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. As they have not been studied for many years, and several are new records, they are offered as a slight contribution to science.
Electrophorus electricus (Linneus). Demara- ra, Pebas in Ecuador, and South America.
Gymnotus carapo Linneus. Surinam; Rio Ja- cuby, Sao Joao to Rio Negro and Chapada, in Brazil; Peruvian Amazon; Upper Amazons; Pebas and Am- byiacu River, Ecuador.
Sternopygus macrurus (Schneider). Surimam; Rio Jacuby, Peruvian Amazon, Ambyiacu River.
Eigenmannia virescens (Valenciennes). Rio Jacuby and Sao Joao to Rio Negro and Chapada, Peruvian Amazon, Pebas, Ambyiacu River.
Eigenmannia troscheli (Kaup). Peruvian Am- azon, Sao Joao.
Steatogenes elegans (Steindachner). Upper Amazon (Hauxwell). Apparently not recorded from this region previously.
Hypopomus brevirostris (Stemdachner). One from Colombia, likely Rio Magdalena, as it was re- ceived from R. W. Mitchill.
Rhamphichthys rostratus (Linneus). Peruvian Amazon.
Sternarchorhamphus macrostoma (Gunther). Peruvian Amazon.
Sternachus albifrons (Linneus). Peruvian Am- azon. A young one from the Ambyiacu River also likely this species.
Sternarchus bonaparti Castelnau. Peruvian Amazon.
Sternarchella balaenops (Cope). ‘This is only known from the type (Sternarchus balaenops Cope, Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., 1878, p. 682) from the Peruvian Amazon. It is closely related to Sternar- chella schotti (Steindachner), but differs chiefly in its shorter head and the more swollen protruding mandible.
Henry W. Fowtrer, Philadelphia, Pa.
EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN HADDOCK.
In the effort to determine any racial diiferences, if such exist, between Kuropean and American Had- dock (Melanogrammus aeglifinis), a vertebral count of 25 examples of the latter was recently made at the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. The comparisons were made with published records of the vertebral count of haddock from Scotland and Iceland (Williamson, 26th Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scot- land). The results as indicated below, show that there is no appreciable difference in the number of vertebrae between fish from the several localities.
Number Average
Locality of No. of Specimens Vertebre Range Massachusetts ....—.2.- 25 54.1 58-55 Scotland! >in os es Ve Pe 33: 53.7 52-56 Teeland) =. ..2. == eee ees 8 53.9 58-55 Number Locality of Number of Vertebre Specimens 52 53 54 55 56 Massachusetts — .................. 25 —— 4 15 6 = Scotland.]- =. ss 33 Lgl Oe t= 2 i| Meelandns 22 as 8 SS ee
W. W. WELSH, U. §. Bureau of Fisheries.
THE GESTATION PERIOD IN THAMNO- PHIS BUTLERIIL (COPE).
In 1912 the writer (Biol. Bul., XXIV, pp. 18- 20) published the results of observations on the breeding habits of Thamnophis butlerii (Cope), some of which concerned the length of the period of gesta- tion in southern Michigan. Since the snakes have been observed to breed at various times between April 9 and April 24, and the time of breeding is probably determined largely by the prevailng temperatures during April, and because the young appear in Au- gust or early in September (August 7-September 6), 1t was concluded that “it is very probable that the length of the gestation period is rather exact for the species,” the differences in the time of parturition being largely due to differences in the time of breed- ing. It is to be expected that the period is subject to some variation, since presumably the body tem- perature of the embryo, like that of the mother, fluc- tuates with the temperature of the air, and this influ- ences the rate of development.
The records which have been obtained show that the length of the period may vary as much as 40 days. The female which was under observation in 1912, gave birth to young in 144 days, but a female which was fertilized on April 18, 1913, had her young on July 31, or in 104 days, and in the case of one which be- caine pregnant on April 18, 1914, parturition oc- curred on August 9, or in 113 days.
The factors which cause this variation have not been determined, but that temperature is one is sug- gested by the fact that the snakes kept in relatively cool places during gestation, had the longest periods. The female which gave birth in 144 days was kept in a cool place in the laboratory and was not exposed to sunlight, while the female with the next shorter pe- riod was kept in a warm place and exposed to the sunlight for a short time each day, and the female which had young in 104 days was kept in a glass- covered cage in a warm room where the sunlight fell upon it for several hours each day. Unfortunately, the females which had copulated and were kept as controls, proved to be sterile, and the observations are
very few in number, so that no conclusions as to the cause of the variations in the gestation period have been reached. It is certain, however, that there are variations, and it is planned to investigate the influ- ence of temperature by keeping the pregnant females in constant temperature rooms. ALEXANDER G. RUTHVEN, Ann Arbor, Mich.
LOS ANGELES SNAKES. The following snakes were observed within one- half day’s walk of the city of Los Angeles during the years 1913 and 1914: 1.—Kosy Boa, Lachinura roscofusca. (Cope) 2.—Paciiic Bull Snake, Pituophis catenifer. ( Blainville ) Boyle’s King Snake, Ophibolus getulus boy- fi. (Baird & Girard)
4.—Coral King Snake, Ophibolus zonatus.
3.
( Blainville) 5.—Red Racer, Zamenis flagelliformis frenatus. (Stejneger ) 6.—Blue Racer, Zamenis constrictor flaviventris. (Say)
7.—Striped Racer, Zamenis laterale. ( Hallowell)
8.—Western Garter Snake, Thamnophis parie- talis. (Say) 9.—Pacific Garter Snake, or “Water-snake,” Thamnophis hammond. (Kennicott) 10.—Patch-nosed Snake, Salvadora grahamiae. (Baird & Girard) 11.—Western Ring-neck Snake, Diadophis ama- bilis. (Baird & Girard) 12.—*Rock Snake, Hypsiglena ochroryncha. (Cope) 13.—*Tantilla, T'antilla eiseni. (Stejneger) 14.—Pacifie Rattlesnake, Crotalus oregonus. (Golbrook) *Hitherto unrecorded from this locality. Pau. RUTHLING, Los Angeles, Cal.
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THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE NORTH- ERN FROG, RANA SEPTENTRION- ALIS, BAIRD, IN MAINE
The Northern Frog is not included in S. Hen- shaw’s list of the Batrachia of New England (1904), but the following recent records show that it Is widely distributed in northern Maine:
Dr. W. C. Kendall collected it July 10, 1903, at Cross Lake Thoroughfare, Kagle Lake, Aroostook Co., and presented one specimen to the Portland So- ciety of Natural History and another to Bowdoin College.
September 8, 1912, A.S. Pope collected one from a wood road, which passed through a sphagnum bog near Grassy Pond, Piscataquis Co., not far from the foot of Mt. Katahdin, and saw several others in the same place. The specimen is in the Lee Museum of Biology at Bowdoin College.
September 6, 1913, Dr. Manton Copeland found Rana septentrionalis common along the banks of Ciss Stream, which flows from Round Pond into Cauc- mogomoe Lake, Piscataquis Co. He identified seven specimens, and secured three for the Lee Museum of Biology. They were found on the marshy banks of the stream where bull frogs (Rana catesbiana) were abundant. Subsequently I had the opportunity to examine and photograph these frogs. They lived well in captivity, eating flies freely.
Through the kindness of Mr. Arthur H. Norton, I am permitted to publish the following data collected by him:
“Rana septentrionalis—Ilt was observed in Van Buren and Caswell, Aug. 15-16, 1914. It was found to be numerous in two small dead water ponds in Caswell, locally called Mud and Girard Ponds. ‘They were more conspicuous than Rana clamata, inhabiting similar places, i.e., tussocks of sedge on the edges and the beds of lily pads near shore.
“At Van Buren they were found in ditches by the railroad track and were common.
“At Mud Pond, Caswell, they were heard calling, and the same is true of RP. clamata.
“The call of R. septentrionalis was found to be similar in nature to that of R. clamata, but differed strikingly in tone, being higher and slightly metallic, resembling closely the sound produced by striking a long nail on the head with a hammer in driving it into heavy timber. I did not observe the pungent odor which has given it the name of Mink Frog.”
From these facts I conclude that Rana septentri- onalis is rather generally distributed in the northern part of Maine, and that it is found in the same locali- ties as R. catesbiana and R. clamata, not tending to replace either of these species.
Puitir H. Pores, Manchester, Maine.
SOME AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The following list includes species I have seen or collected within the county limits since the fall of 1912. Where the number of specimens is given, the error is on the side of understatement, as in many cases I have not recorded in my notes specimens seen which were not caught.
Plethodon erythronotus (Green).—Both forms common in Cobb’s creek near Haverford and at Darby creek near Coopertown Road.
Spelerpes bislineatus (Green).—Common_ in Cobb’s creek near Haverford, and in a small creek
rising near Coopertown and entering Darby creek at Coopertown Road—more aquatic than the preceding.
Spelerpes ruber (Daudin).—Fairly common in the same localities as the preceding.
Desmognathus fusca (Rafinesque) .— Fairly common in the same localities as the two Spelerpes.
Bufo americanus Holbrook.—Common_ every- where.
Hyla pickeringu (Holbrook).—Several caught near Haverford and Cobb’s creek.
Rana catesbeiana Shaw.—Not rare but seldom seen except at night. Cobb’s creek, near Haverford.
Rana clamata Daudin.—Common; Cobb’s creek and Darby creek.
Rana palustris Le Conte-—This and the preced- ing the most common frogs seen. Same localities as preceding.
Rana sylvatica Le Conte.—N ot secured, though some frogs seen in thickets near Coopertown Road were believed to be this species.
Regina leberis (Linneus).—F airly common. I have about 18 records for the county, mostly for Cobb’s creek near Haverford, though a few for Dar- by creek above Fox Croft, and one for Naylor Run, near Grassland.
Natriv sipedon (Linneus).—Common in Cobb’s creek from Bryn Mawr to. Ardmore, in a Darby from below Adele to above the Hunt, and in Naylor Run near Grassland. I have about 40 records.
Storeria dekayi (Holbrook) .—I have three rec- ords for the county. One near Coopertown, one in Cobb’s creek at Ardmore Ave., and one at Haverford College.
Coluber constrictor Linnzeus.—Fourteen records and all but one on the railway embankment along Darby creek from below Coopertown Road to Fox Croft. The other was on the opposite side of the creek, near Coopertown Road.
Thamnophis sauritus (Linneus).—Cobb’s creek, near Haverford. Three records.
Thamnophis sirtalis (Linnexus) .—About 60 seen
around Cobb’s creek from Bryn Mawr to Ardmore Junction. Also in Darby and smaller creeks.
Lampropeltis doliatus triangulus (Boie).—One specimen from near Coopertown, a typical triangulus, with blotches reaching only the fifth row of scales.
Ancistrodon contortrix (Linneus).— H. E. Knowlton, of Haverford, tells me he was bitten by a copperhead about two years ago, over in the rocks along the railroad near Coopertown Road. I think this is a good record, as he knows the common snakes of this region.
Sceloporus undulatus (Latreille) —Not seen by me, but reported by H. E. Knowlton from near Coo- pertown Road. He had previously seen some speci- mens I had in captivity, so I think this is a good record.
Chelydra serpentina (Linneus).—I caught two ina pond near Haverford and saw one taken in Dar- by creek above Coopertown Road.
Sternothoerus odoratus (atreille).—I have seen ene taken in Darby creek, probably near Coopertown Road.
Chrysemys picta (Schneider).—Caught — in Cobb’s creek near Haverford and Darby creek above and below Coopertown Road.
Clemmys muhlenbergii (Schoepff).—I have seen some said to have been taken in Darby creek above Coopertown Road.
Clemmys insculpta (Ie Conte).—Caught two along the railroad embankment near Fox Croft.
Clemmys quttata (Schneider).—One taken in a small creek between Coopertown and Darby, and one taken in Cobb’s creek, near Haverford.
Terrapene carolina (Linneus ).—Fairly common near Coopertown.
EK. R. Dunn, Haverford, Pa.
Edited by J. T. NicuoLs, American Museum of Natural History
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LONG ISLAND SNAKES
The only published list is that of Mr. George P. Engelhardt which appeared without signature in T'he Museum News, Brooklyn, Vol. 8, May, 1913, p. 129, and recorded twelve species. One of these, the King Snake (Ophibolus getulus), mentioned by DeKay (1842) as occurring rarely on the “brush plains,” has never been rediscovered, and the record is very doubt- ful.
To Mr. Engelhardt’s list we can add one species, the Grass Snake (Liopeltis vernalis), and additional data regarding several of the others.
1. Kutaenia saurita (Linn.), Ribbon Snake. General in distribution and always near streams, ponds or swamps. At Mastic this species is more com- mon than the Garter Snake (EF. sirtalis).
2. Eutaenia sirtalis (Linn.), Garter Snake. The most common snake on Long Island, still found in the parks, vacant lots and gardens of Brooklyn. At Orient the earliest spring record is March 15. It is generally common early in April. An unusually late autumn record is Orient, Dec. 10, 1913.
3. Tropidonotus fasciatus sipedon (Linn.), Water Snake. Common in or near streams, ponds and marshes.
4. Storeria dekayi (Holbrook), Brown Snake. Abundant within the city limits of Brooklyn and gen- erally distributed over Long Island. Not common in the Orient Point district.
5. Storeria occipitomaculata (Storer), Red-bel- lied Snake. ‘Two records:—pine woods at Yaphank, July, 1911, and Mt. Sinai, September 11, 1914.
6. Zamenis constrictor (Linn.), Black Snake. Common, especially in sandy regions near the south shore. Not known from the Orient Point district, but found sparingly on Gardiner’s Island. Dates, April 15, 1913, Kast Marion; Oct. 8, Gardiner’s Island. A specimen taken at East Marion on May 15, 1912, measured 70 inches in length.
7. Laopeltis vernalis (DekKay), Grass Snake. One taken at Easthampton in July (G. W. Hollis- ter). Observed at Mt. Sinai in July.
8. Diadophis punctatus (Linn.), Ring-neck Snake. One taken at Port Jefferson in June, 1906. Yaphank, May-July.
The Yaphank colony of Ring-neck Snakes, so rar as captures during several years indicate, is re- stricted in range to the woods bor dering a cranberry bog on the Weeks’ estate.
Long Island examples of this snake seem to dif- rer considerably from typical mountain specimens. ‘The cervical ring is very narrow on Long Island spec- imens in the Br ooklyn Museum collection, being only one scale, or one scale and a half, in width, and some- times broken by the dark line of the dorsal ridge. Specimens from Stowe, Vermont, have strongly marked rings often three scales in width.
9. Ophibolus doliatus triangulus (Daudin), Milk Snake. General in distribution, but not com- mon. Coldspring Harbor, several records; Yaphank, July, 1910; Orient, June, 1908; Greenport, May, 1909; Southold, October, 1911.
10. Carphophis amoenus (Say), Worm Snake. Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, May, 1913; Jamaica South, May, 1906; Bay Shore, 1913. This species still persists within the city limits of Brooklyn, but it is commonly overlooked because of its burrowing hab- its. It may often be found hiding under logs or boards.
11. Heterodon platyrhinus (ULatreille), Hog- nose Snake. General and common throughout most of Long Island; rare on the north prong (Southold township). Spring date, May 15, Gardiner’s Island.
The favorite habitat of the Hog-nose appears to be the sand dunes, where toads (Bufo fowleri), upon which this snake almost exclusively feeds, also occur in great abundance. On_ several occasions during July and August, 1908, the young were encountered in amazing numbers ainong the dunes at Rockaw ay Beach, and their tracks made a hier oglyphic network among the hollows of smooth sand. A party of camp- ers on the beach had captured a hundred or more young Hog-noses and had placed them in a barrel of water, from the notion that they belonged to an aqua- tic species. Most of the young snakes were drowned.
Only the spotted form of this species has been observed on the beaches, but the black form is not uncommon in the wooded regions about J amaica. Mi: W. T. Davis has a specimen which was “of uniform slate color,” collected at Yaphank, July 14, 1907.
The Hog-nose Snake seems to be abundant along the south coast of Long Island all the way to Mon- tauk Point. Several were seen in a well at Promised Land.
12. Crotalus horridus Linn, Banded Rattle- snake. Formerly not uncommon in swamps and pine barrens of Long Island, but now doubtless very rare. A fine specimen, collected about thirty years ago, is in the collection of the Long Island Historical So- ciety. Another specimen upon authentic informa- tion, was killed at Centre Islip in 1903. A set of rattles from a specimen killed about 1870 is in the possession of Miss Clara Weeks of Yiaphank.
The practical extirpation of the Rattlesnake on Long Island probably followed closely on the east- ward extension of the Long Island Railroad in 1895. The snakes acquired the fatal habit of sunning them- selves on the railroad embankments, and of lying across the heated rails. According to Mr. A. H. Helme, one of the last strongholds of the rattlers was
in the neighborhood of Freeport. There are no re- cent records. G. P. ENGELHARDT, JOS NicHors: Roy LatHuam, R. C. Murpny, Brooklyn, N.Y.
ALLIGATORS IN WINTER
On December 24, 1914, on Bogue Banks, near Morehead City, N. C., I killed a four-foot alligator which had crawled about 30 feet from its “cave,” or hole. It was sluggish and did not appear to notice me as I came up to it. This is the first one I have ever killed here in the winter, and its being out at this season near the northern limit of its range, is inter- esting. I have reliable evidence from the natives that they not infrequently come out in this vicinity in winter, and are even heard bellowing.
RussELt J. COLes, Danville, Va.
THE YELLOW-TAIL (Ocyurus chrysurus) IN NEW JERSEY
In 1905 I wrongly described an example of this species as the gray snapper (Rep. N. J. State Mus., 1905, p. 816). ‘This specimen has since been exam- ined and compared with examples of the yellow-tail, and agrees in most all details. It was obtained by Mr. Philip Laurent on September 21, 1890, accord- ing to the label, at Anglesea. As no other record for the yellow-tail north of Florida appears to have ever been given, the above may prove of interest.
Henry W. Fowter, Philadelphia, Pa.
Edited by J. T. Nicuots, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
New York, May 15, 1915. No. 18
VT
\ pte Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates
THE BROOK LAMPREY IN NEW JERSEY
In the spring of 1909 Mr. Charles KE. Sleight of Ramsey, New Jer sey, collected a consider able num- ber of Brook Lampreys in Geetschius’ Brook near the culvert of the Erie railroad, about one-quarter of a mile from the Ramsey railroad station. ‘The brook here flows through an open meadow, and Mr. Sleight says that the lamprey "s were observed there in the spring of several years, but that none have been seen since 1909. He kindly presented the writer with three of these odd fish, the largest one of which is 5 11/16 inches in length, and has the anal papilla well developed.
As the Brook Lamprey is an addition to Dr. Hen- ry W. Fowler’s Fishes of New Jersey, the specimens have been submitted to him. He confirms the iden- tification and says that the species should be known as Lampetra ae pyptera (Abbott), as pointed out im “Notes on Lancelets and Lampreys,” Proceedings Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., Dec., 1907, p. 466. The type of this species is in the Academy’s collection and came from the Ohio River. Lampetra wilderi Gage. Dr. Fowler considers a synonym. Under this latter name there is an interesting account, in the ‘Transac- tions, N. Y. Acad. Sciences, May 10, 1897, by Bash-
2 COPEIA
ford Dean and Francis B. Sumner, of the spawning habits of the Brook Lamprey as observed about one mile north of Van Cortlandt Park, New York City. These two records are, as far as known, the only ones for the species in this vicinity. Wwo. T. Davis, New Brighton, N. Y.
NOTE ON THE HABITS OF THE YOUNG OF THE SQUIRREL HAKE AND SEA SNAIL
During the oceanographic cruise of the U. S. Fish- eries schooner Grampus in the summer of 1913, large quantities of the Giant Scallop were dredged at many points on the continental shelf between Nantucket Lightship and the Virginia capes. In a number of instances these se allops. were found to contain young examples of the squirrel hake, Urophycis chuss (W al baum), ranging in length from 27 to 70 mm. With one exception all were taken in the region between Montauk Point and Cape May, and within the 20 fathom curve. The only occurrence at a greater depth was in 42 fathoms, 52 miles S.S.E. from Mon- tauk Pomt.
Whether these young hake habitually live within the mantle cavity of the scallop, or whether they merely use it as a refuge on the approach of an ene- my, is not known. ‘The latter hypothesis appears to be the more plausible one. In the six dredge hauls in which young hake were thus taken, 27 examples were obtained from 59 seallops. In one instance, 11 hake were obtained from 9 scallops.
During the same cruise a number of young exam- ples of the sea snail, Liparis liparis (uinneus) were obtained from the mantle cavities of scallops at two stations, as follows:
Forty-five miles E.S.E. from Assateague, Va., in 30 fathoms, and 45 miles K. by S. from Cape Charles,
COPEIA 3
in 25 fathoms. ‘These ranged in length from 20 to 29 mm. So far as known, “this species has not been reported from so far south. A single example was also found in a scallop taken in 37 fathoms, 16 miles S. from Nantucket Lightship. W. W. WELSH, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries.
FURTHER NOTES ON THE SALIENTIA OF JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
Hyla pickeringi Storer, the “Spring peeper, 1s rather rare here, only two small “bayous” containing very few specimens having been found by the writer. These places were about six miles apart. I have heard this species sing only in December.
Hyla squirella Bosc., the commonest of the south- ern tree-toads, 1s found everywhere, in cornfields, sugar cane, about wells and under the eaves of stable aa barns, outhouses, ete. After a heavy thunder shower in September, 1911, hundreds of these little tree toads could be seen hopping along the country roads outside of Jacksonville. ‘That same night the writer took 32 specimens from a velvet bean vine on the blank side of his cottage. The cry is rather coarse, sounding like: “Cra, cra, cra,” etc., with a second’s interval between each note. ‘This species is noted for its rapid color changes.
Hyla femoralis Latreille is called the Pine tree toad, from its habit of frequenting the tops of pine trees almost exclusively, during the summer months. It resembles our own gray tree toad, with its rough skin and star-shaped dark patch on the back, but is smaller and more slender. Its usual color is dark reddish-brown or chestnut, but it can readily change from fleshy pink or pale gray to any shade of brown, gray or green. It is one of the shyest of tree toads, rarely caught except during the breeding season, when it frequents certain * ‘bayous” in thousands. atic
4 COPEIA
noise resulting from the calls of the males on these occasions, is deafening. This call cannot be repro- duced on paper, being a rapid succession of harsh, rattling notes, higher in pitch than the call of H. squirella, and kept up all night. During the dry sea- son this tree toad occasionally calls from the tops of the pine trees, one answering the other.
Hyla cinerea, Daud., is an aristocratic looking tree toad, with its long, slender figure of the brightest green, edged on each side with a band of pale gold or silvery white. Its size is larger than any of the pre- ceding species, often reaching 2'2 inches from snout to vent. Occasionally met with on corn fields, its chief haunts, however, seem to be the shores of the creeks, where it occurs in scattered companies on the water hyacinths and bulrushes. Its call sounds like: “Grab, grab, grabit, grabit,” ete., uttered in a shrill, loud voice, and has a startling resemblance to the hu- man voice. One would never think the call came from a frog. Although a powerful leaper, it is easily ‘aught when once located, as it is not at all shy. This species seems to have no special breeding season, and is never heard in the early spring, when the majority of the other frogs and toads congregate at the shal- low “bayous.”
Hyla gratiosa, Le Conte, the Florida tree toad, is a handsome species, and the largest of the North American tree toads, reaching a length of 3'% inches from snout to vent. It is heavily built, with large adhesive disks on fingers and toes. It differs from all other species in its evenly granulated skin, and regular pattern of roundish spots. ‘The color is ashen gray, purplish or green of some shade. ‘The spots are darker than the ground color, evenly distributed over the upper surfaces, and may be absent when the frog changes to pale golden green. ‘The arms and legs are banded. The throat of the male is rich chrome yellow or green. It is not very plentiful anywhere, and rarely met with outside the breeding season. Dur-
COPEIA 5
ing the latter time it comes down out of the trees, and small companies of from four to ten specimens, in widely scattered pools or “bayous,” attend to their breeding duties amid the loud calls of the males. The call can be heard for over a mile, and sounds like a large gong, or church bell, being of unusual depth, aad very a eae with a second’s interval between each duel note. The male, while singing, floats in the wa ter, the large vocal sac throwing fhe frog into a ver- tical position with every utterance. ‘The eggs are laid singly and sink to the bottom ok the pool. I have never heard this species call except during the breed- ing season, which lasts from March to June, begin- ning with the first warm rains. Ricuarp F. DrEcKERT, New York, N.Y.
LIST OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OBSERVED IN THE SUMMERS OF 1912, 1918 AND 1914, IN NELSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Nelson county is partly in the Piedmont section of Virginia and partly in the Blue Ridge. The collect- ing was mostly on the James River, in the Piedmont section, about 40 miles below Lynchburg, at an alti- tude of 400 to 600 feet. The figures refer to actual records in my notebook. Where the common names are given they are those in use for the species in Nel- son County.
Desmognathus fusca (Rafinesque) .
Diemictylus viridescens (Rafinesque). Both land and water forms. Land form “ground puppy,” wa- ter from “spring lizard.”
Bufo americanus Holbrook. “Toad.” Very common. Acris gryllus crepitans (Baird). Common locally. Ayla versicolor Le Conte. “Tree toad.”
Rana catesbeiana Shaw. “Bull frog.”
Rana clamata Daudin.
6 COPEIA
Rana palustris Le Conte.
Carphophiops amoenus (Say)-
Regina leberis (Linneus) 25-+-. Common.
Natriv sipedon (Lmneus). “Water snake, or wa- ter moccasin.” 98. Very common.
Elaphe guttatus (Linneus). “Corn — snake.” ‘Brown sedge snake.” “Mole catcher”? 6.
Elaphe obsoletus (Say). “Scaly, or rusty black snake: ~-Pilot. 78.
Storeria occipitomaculata (Storer). 2.
Storeria dekayi (Holbrook). 1.
Opheodrys aestivus (Linneus). “Green snake.” 13.
Virginia valeriae Baird and Girard. 2.
Diadophis punctatus (iinneus). “Fodder snake.”
Coluber constrictor Linneus. “Slick black snake.” “Hoop snake’? “Cow sucker”? “Horse racer”? 22--. common. |
Thamnophis sirtalis (Limneus). 6. Not rare.
Lampropeltis rhombomaculatus (Holbrook). “House snake’? “Ground snake.” “Molecatcher.” 10.
Lam propeltis getulus (Linneus). “King snake.” “Master snake,” “Black moccasin.” “Cowsucker’’? 9.
Heterodon platirhinos Latreille. “Spread-head moccasin.” 4 and a nest of 84 eggs. .
Aghkistrodon contortric (Linneus). “Copper- head.” “Highland moccasin.” 12.
Crotalus horridus Linneus. “Rattlesnake.” Local- ly common. 1.
Eumeces fasciatus (Linneus). “Scorpion” or “scarapin.” 13.
Cnemidophorus sexvlineatus (Linneus). 26+. Lo- ‘ally common.
Sceloporus undulatus (atreille). “Fence lizard.” 92+. Very common. Chelydra serpentina (Linneus). “Turtle.” “Snap- ping turtle.”
Kinosternon pensylvanicum (Gmelin).
Pseudemys rubriventris (Lue Conte).
COPEIA a
Chrysemys picta (Schneider). “Skilpot.”” Common. Terrapene carolina (Linneus). “Dry land terra- pin.” Common. E. R. Dunn, Philadelphia, Pa.
NEW COLOR VARIATION OF STORERIA OCCIPITOMACULATA
During the first week in August, 1914, I collected a small black-colored snake near Cammal, Pa. It at- tracted my attention, as I was not familiar with the coloration that was presented. Kxamination re- vealed a peculiar phase of the red-bellied snake, of which I was unable to find a description in any of the standard works upon reptiles. Through the courtesy of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, I was permitted to examine the varie- ties of red-bellied snakes in their collection. In look- ing over the specimens I found one that simulated mine. This reptile was collected at Johnsonburg, Elk County, Pa., by Cope.: He described it as being a very dark brown, with the dorsal band obscure, and the under surfaces black. The throat and chin were whitish, and the black darkest in a row of spots on each side of a dozen anterior gastrosteges. ‘The rep- tile I found measured 24 cm., was distinctly black on the dorsal and ventral surfaces, the throat and chin white, sprinkled with small black spots; the stripes on the sides could only be detected by having the hight strike the reptile in a certain manner. When the two reptiles were placed side by side, Cope’s spec- imen was lighter in color, both on the dorsal and ven- tral surfaces; the stripes on Cope’s specimen could readily be seen as compared with the reptile under discussion.
R. D. SPENcER, Philadelphia, Pa.
NUMBER OF YOUNG PRODUCED BY THE COMMON GARTER SNAKE
Definite records of the number of young produced. by any species of reptiles are always interesting and valuable to those interested in the life history of ani- mals. The following observations concerning the number of young produced by the common Garter Snake (Thomnophis sirtalis), may therefore be worth recording.
This snake is well known to be viviparous. It is the most abundant snake in the vicinity of Lake Max- inkuckee, Indiana. On July 26, 1900, a female three feet long, was killed by me just west of the lake. Upon cutting it open 40 young snakes, each six to seven inches long, were taken from the mother’s body.
This number we thought very large, but Dr. J. Schenck, of Mt. Carmel, Ilmois, records 78 young each three to seven inches long, taken from a female of this species 35 mches long.
Does any reader of Coprra know of a record of a larger number?
Barton WARREN EVERMANN, San Francisco, Cal.
Edited by J. T. Nicnots, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
New York, June 25, 1915. No. 19
Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates
NOTES ON THE HABITS OF SCELOPORUS UNDULATUS (LATREILLE).
This exceedingly common lizard is chiefly found on trees and fences, or very rarely on the ground. They are rather agile and difficult to capture save with a noose. ‘They do not, as a rule, go into holes when hard pressed, though I have seen one hide under the loose bark of a stump. ‘They show a certain amount of color change from lighter to darker and vice-versa.
Breeding -habits. A ? caught on May 10, 1914, at Marlton, N. J., was killed and dissected on June 7th. She had 10 large eggs in her oviducts. My earliest record for young is July 29th (Nelson Coun- ty, Va.), but I have no other records before Aug. 14. I have never seen any half-grown ones except in the very early summer, so that I think this lizard reaches adult size in one year.
Food. One of my earliest remembrances of this lizard is seeing a large one run up a pine tree carry- ing in its mouth a cricket as large as its own body. In captivity I have watched them eat butterflies of the genera Pieris and Colias, houseflies and Mayflies. Specimens were hardy in captivity, and excellent feeders, chasing and snapping up the small butter- flies with great agility, and swallowing them with a chewing motion.
EK. R. Dunn, Philadelphia, Pa.
10 COPEIA
HIBERNATION OF REPTILES IN SOUTH- ERN CALIFORNIA.
Of the snakes in the immediate vicinity of Los Angeles, very few are to be found at large during the winter, for they behave much as do their eastern cousins. ‘This was contrary to my expectations when I first arrived here, for like many another easterner, I thought Southern California would yield a bounti- ful harvest of snakes at any time of the year. Now and then a Pacific Bull Snake (Pituophis catenifer), a Western Garter Snake (Thamnophis parietalis), or a “Water” Snake (Thamnophis hammondi) will wander in search of food and may be found abroad even in winter. Only exceptionally warm days will cause this, however, and few, if any, other snakes ever come out in the winter. Most captives in my collec- tion of local snakes refuse food from about the middle of October to the beginning of March.
Lizards, on the contrary, are to be found on any sunny day during the winter when they come forth to warm themselves after a freezing night. At such times they snap up occasional flies and other insects. Gerrhonotus scincicauda, Uta stansburiana and Scel- oporus bi-seriatus are the most intrepid of the lizards that dare the rigors of a none-too-gentle climate and warm themselves in the rays of the winter sun. Up in the mountains where snow falls during the winter, one may see the hardy little swifts (Uta) scamper about rocks in the sun a few feet away from shady nooks where large patches of snow lie evaporating, while down at a lower altitude may be found other lizards, and even snakes at times. In captivity the lizards feed readily through the winter.
The hiding places of lizards may easily be found in the winter by overturning heaps of boards, stones, logs, ete. At that time of the year, especially after a heavy frost, they are easily captured, for they are quite sluggish. The Horned Lizards usually bury themselves in the ground, where they are sometimes
COPEIA 11
dug out accidentally. Snakes in this part of the country hibernate under haystacks, piles of boards, etc., but usually they seem to pass the winter in gopher and ground squirrel holes in the ground. Between last Christmas and New Years I caught one “Water” Snake and one Western Garter Snake on a particularly warm day in a valley between the city of Los Angeles and the ocean. Near Dulzura I caught one more “Water” Snake and this winter received two small unidentified snakes from Calexico, where there is an arid tropical climate. Even in the desert around Calexico, snakes are more searce in winter than they are in summer; though, if the truth must be told, they are not plentiful there at any time. I have not known of any case of Clemmys mar- morata—Southern California’s only turtle—being found in the winter. Paut D. R. RUTHLING, Los Angeles, Calif.
COLUMBUS ON THE REMORA.
In the Journals of the first and second voyages of Columbus are found respectively descriptions of a species of ‘Trunk and Sucking-fish observed near Cuba. The account of the latter mentions that the “Reversus,” or Remora, was employed by the Indians in a singular manner of fishing which consisted in holding the “huntsman-fish” fast by a cord, and al- lowing it to attach itself to the bodies of other fish or large marine turtles. Humboldt conjectured the “Reversus” to be identical with H'cheneis naucrates, Poey with the species named by him EF. guaicano. Pre-Linnean writers on ichthyology continued to ap- ply the term “Reversus” to the species of Sucking-fish described by Columbus, and also included under the same term a spinous variety, or “species,” which is easily recognizable from the descriptions and figures as Diodon histriv. 'The use of the Remora as a “huntsman-fish” in the manner first related by Colum-
12 COPEIA
bus seems to have continued until modern times in various quarters of the globe; so at least the writer is informed by Dr. KE. W. Gudger, who has collected a number of reports to that effect.
Cuarves R. EASTMAN, New York, N. Y.
CERTAIN FAMILIAR STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS IN FISHES.
That habit and structure are correlated will be questioned by no student of evolution. ‘That habit determines structure would probably be less widely conceded. If it does so, specialized structures would be expected to arise among fishes already possessing habits to take advantage of them; we would expect to find the habit served by a fish’s peculiar structure, shared also, to some degree, by its relatives which lack the structure; and notable cases where this expec- tation is realized are evidence that structure is deter- mined by habit.
Some such eases come to mind. The sailfish, remarkable for its great expanse of dorsal fin, is said to come to the surface of the sea with the fin out of water, functioning as a sail in the wind. ‘The sword-fish and mackerel, its allies, are surface fishes, the sword-fish at least often swims with its back-fin out of water.
The prehensile tail of the sea-horse with which it coils around and holds fast to sea-weed is a struc- ture unique among fishes. ‘The pipe-fishes, its nearest allies, live among sea-weed twisting their lithe bodies among and bracing their tails against the strands of weed.
The highly developed breast-fins of the flying fish which enable it to travel considerable distances through the air and elude predaceous fishes of which it is the prey, is one of the most remarkable structural adaptations to be found in the world’s ichthyfauna,
COPEIA 13
and perhaps responsible for the success, measured by the abundance, of flying fishes off shore over warm seas everywhere, where they seem to outnumber the sum of all other species. ‘Their allies, the slender, elongate needle-fishes, though lacking any wing de- velopment are noted for the habit of leaping and skipping over the surface of the water. One elongate species with a much flattened body turns on its side and skims over the surface like a skipping stone.
J.T. NicHots, New York, N.Y.
RANA PALUSTRIS IN WISCONSIN.
During the early fall of 1914, three specimens of Rana palustris Le Conte were found in a small stream entering the south side of Lake Wingra, Dane County. ‘These specimens were identified for the writer by Dr. A. G. Ruthven, and a specimen was de- posited in the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. The stream in which these frogs were found i is the small sluggish outlet of a large swamp situated about a half mile from the lake. The bottom of the stream is of soft mud, without stones of any sort, and at all seasons of the year is more or less ob- structed by a heavy growth of water cress. Rana pipiens, Acris gryllus and Rana clamitans are very commonly found here, but frequent and diligent search throughout the year previous had failed to dis- close any pickerel frogs.
The distribution of this species 1s given by Dick- erson (The Frog Book) as “over the eastern part of North America, west to the Great Plains, and north to Hudson Bay.” Higley (Wisconsin Acad- emy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, VII, 169) states that it is quite common in Michigan, and may possibly be found in Wisconsin, and in “The Herpetology oe Michigan” (Mich. Geol. and Biol. Surv., Pub. 10, Biol. Ser. 3) Thompson and Thompson say that ne
14 COPEIA
have examined specimens from six counties in Michi- gan and have records of the occurrence of the species in three others. No records are given for any part of the state above the southern end of Saginaw Bay. Cope (Batrachia of North America, 1889) gives two records for Wisconsin, one from the Root River, 1853, and the other from the Upper Wisconsin River, the date of which is not given. Notes on the occur- rence of the species at Green Lake, Wisconsin, in 1906 and 1909, have been given to me by Mr. John M. Lowe. The results of ecological work in the re- gion of the Madison lakes will doubtless show that Rana palustris although rare, has a fairly continuous distribution in the state. TuHurtow C. NELson,
University of Wisconsin.
SOME NEW RECORDS FOR GYRINO- PHILUS PORPHYRITICUS (GREEN):
In rearranging the collection of Amphibia in the Lee Museum of Biology at Bowdoin College, I came across a badly shrivelled and faded specimen of this species. It was easily identified by the teeth and the general appearance, but the only data with it was a ecard marked Brunswick, Me.
There are two more recent records from Man- chester, Maine.
August 16, 1913, George EK. Gilbert brought me two specimens, an adult, and a larva about three inches long, with external gills.
April 12, 1915, the same collector got three adults, two of them 7'4 inches in length. A week later I visited the place where they were found, a cold spring rising in a barrel in an open field and empty- ing into a stone drain. One had been found in the mud under the board cover of the spring, while the others were in the water. ‘They seem to be good
ee
COPEIA 15
swimmers, but in captivity I noticed that they rested with the nose held out of water.
- At the mouth of the stone drain, about 100 yards from the spring, I found a larva three inches long, and in the spring itself five more only on inch in length, The large larva was probably a year old, while the small ones appeared to be newly hatched. In color they were a pale red with small yellowish dots scattered along the back, but there is little pig- ment in the skin and the whole animal is quite trans- lucent.
In the shape of the head, thread-like external gills and general form these larve resemble those of s peler pes bilineatus, but the color and markings are quite different.
Although this species seems to be quite abundant about this one spring, I have found it nowhere else in the vicinity.
Pump HH. Pore, Manchester, Maine.
NUMBER OF YOUNG PRODUCED BY COMMON SNAKES.
Mr. J. F. Street informs me he dissected an adult garter snake (7'hamnophis sirtalis) in the fall of 1909, moramed at Indiana, Pa. It contained 65 well- devel- oped embryos. I saw an example of this species in the Carnegie Museum, at Pittsburgh, some years ago, from Ohio Pyle, Pa. It had a great number of young which were given as 65. The largest water snake (Natriv sipedon) I have examined, was ob- tained by Evan Rhoads on Newton Creek, near Mount Ephraim, Camden County, N. J., August 22, 1912. When fresh it was little short ae five feet and contained over 70 young, (76 according to my notes). I may add that a red- -eared terrapin (Pseu- demys elegans) was captured in Oldmans Creek, N.
16 COPEIA
J., during June, 1914, and brought to my notice through Dr. Ida A. Keller. It is doubtless an intro- duction or escaped individual, as the species is a native of the Gulf States.
Henry W. Fow ter,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Edited by J. T. Nicuots, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
New York, July 27, 1915. No. 20
Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates
ANNUAL OCCURRENCE OF SPADE-FOOT TOADS.
Spade-foot toads (Scaphiopus holbrooki) ap- peared in Patchogue on the evening of May 22, 1915, for at least the fourth successive year. The first hard rain of spring occurred on the night of May 21, and on the evening of May 22, great numbers of toads were present in the same pool in which they have been seen In previous years. On the morning of the 23d nearly every blade of grass in the pool was covered with their eggs, and by night not a toad remained in sight. ‘The sudden emergence of the toads from their underground retreats and their extremely short stay in the breeding pools, probably accounts for the former belief that years usually elapse between their appearances.
FRANK Overton, Patchogue, N. Y.
NOTE ON AN UNUSUALLY LARGE OCEAN SUNFISH.
On May 14, 1915, I examined a very large Ocean Sunfish or Mola (Mola mola) at the fish house of the Borzone Fish Company in San Francisco. The fish had been caught the day before in a parancella net about 40 miles off the Golden Gate and south of the Farallons.
18 COPEIA
The following measurements and notes were tak- en: ‘Total length 9 feet; width 7 ft. 9 in.; eye to snout 14 in.; diameter of orbit 5 in; eye to base of pectoral 17 in.; length of pectoral 15 in.; width 124% in.; gill opening 44 x 6'2 in.; length of dorsal (mutilated) 2 ft. 5 in.; width 23 in.; length of anal 21 in.
Color silvery; body, especially anteriorly, coy- ered with hard, bony, silvery, stellate or granular plates.
After the fish had been caught in the net it was attacked by sharks and badly mutilated, especially on the fins and about the nose.
It was said that this fish weighed 2,500 pounds, but I cannot vouch for the truth of this statement. My own estimate was not to exceed 1,800 pounds.
This was said to be the largest fish of this species N a
ever taken by San Francisco fishermen. Smaller ex- amples weighing 300 to 400 pounds are occasionally taken. One was brought in in April of this year that weighed about 300 pounds. One was taken in June, 1893, off Redondo Beach, California, that measured 8 ft. 2 m., and weighed 1,800 pounds.
Barton WaRrRREN EVERMANN, San Francisco, Cal.
(The mounted skin of a Mola 10 ft 2 in. in total length from Long Beach, California, May, 1911, is exhibited in the American Museum of Natural His-
tory, New York.—Ed.] HIBERNATION OF REPTILES.
A friend in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is my au- thority for the statement that there seems to be a great difference in animals, as to their tendency to hibernate in winter, and the effect of temperature upon the physical phases of their life. He had had for three years, in 1910, a brace of rattle-snakes,
COPEIA 19
(Crotalus horridus) from the neighborhood which he kept in a glass case, and maintained a summer tem- perature the year round, with the result that during that period of three years the snakes did not hiber- nate, but maintained an active existence during the entire time. He has observed that they have shed their epidermis at shorter periods than has been gen- erally supposed; to wit, about once in three months, and that this is not a constant factor, but will vary. It has popularly been held as an indisputable fact that the rattle-snake adds one joimt to the rattle each year, but Mr. Ford has discovered that a new joint is added to the rattle with each shedding of the eperdermis, and the snakes in his collection have add- ed from three to four buttons each year, proving that the old time hypothesis is erroneous. ‘The snakes have fine rattles with perhaps tem or twelve buttons and have attained a length of maybe less than twenty inches. In this collection, under the scrutiny of Mr. Ford, is a small mud turtle (species unknown) that is kept at about the same temperature as the snakes but with different results. As winter approaches and the proper season arrives it declines to eat, draws in its head and becomes lethargic and finally falls into
a stupor, which lasts till spring when it awakes again to its wonted life and activity. From these facts, it would be interesting to determine what degree of cold a dormant animal may be subjected to without de- stroying its latent vitality, and what degree of tem- perature is necessary to induce hibernation in any given animal.
Herman Havrt, JR.,
South Haven, Michigan.
ON ONE OR TWO COMMON STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS IN FISHES.
The caudal fin of fishes is the chief propelling organ. As such its form is a good criterion of a fish’s
20 COPEIA
habit of locomotion. The forked form is used almost without exception by those species which swim con- tinually through extensive stretches of open water. The water slipping along the fishes flanks must escape backward in the middle line of its tail. Side to side motion of a square caudal would interfere with the backward flow of the water and impede the fish. Ob- viously the forked fin is better adapted for this work as the central impeding portion is eliminated and the lobes brace against comparatively stationary water. A narrow peduncle is also an advantage and we find the peduncle tending to be more and more narrow particularly in its vertical diameter, and it is often strengthened by keels in its horizontal diameter, that is the plane of its motion. It is interesting that the same type is approached by the mackerels, a free swimming more or less pelagic off-shoot of the Per- coid, stem, by the mackerel-sharks, most active swim- mers of the sharks, which have a very different heter- ocereal caudal as a basis of variation, and the Cetacea, among mammals. ‘The Cetacea are, interestingly enough, adapted to motion in a different plane, mov- ing their forked caudal up and down instead of from side to side, and with the peduncles narrowed hori- zontally instead of vertically.
Certain fishes, except when alarmed, propel themselves not by the caudal, but by the breast-fins. Such are the wrasse-parrotfish group, which slip in and out among rocks and the crevices of coral-reefs. These have usually squarish or rounded caudals, quite different from the firm forked ones of more actively free-swimming fishes. Indeed the relative forking is a fair criterion of the amount of swimming that a fish does, the minnows with forked caudals, being more active swimmers than the killifish group with rounded, the sea running salmon having a more forked caudal than the brook inhabiting trout, the old trout a squarer tail than the young, to whom the
COPEIA 21
same brook furnishes, compared to its size, a wider swimming range.
The evolution in habit and structure which from a group of predaceous free-swimming mammals like the Delphinidae has evolved the large whale-bone whales which feed on small animals sifted from the water with their baleen, is more or less paralleled in several independent groups of fishes. Our common menhaden, representative of the herrings, is a good example. Though a small fish the size and density of the schools in which it swims are in a way analagous with the cetacean’s bulk. Continually it swims for- ward, its mouth wide open, gulping sea-water from which its very fine lengthened gill-rakers are sifting food enough to make it ver 4 fat and sought after for its oil. A. better example are the gigantic basking shark and whale shark, off-shoots from the active pre- daceous mackerel sharks. The large gill openings and very small teeth of these lar gest of fishes, show them to be sifters of small food. In the almost uni- versally predaceous mackerel genus Scomber an Kast Indian species has very long fine gill-rakers, doubtless associated with herring- like feeding habits.
J.T. NicHors. New York, N.Y.
CONCLUDING NOTES ON THE SALIEN-
TIA OF JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
Acris gryllus, Le Conte, the “Cricket frog,” is one of the commonest frogs, great swarms a this species having been seen by the writer during the spring months about the edges of bayous, cr eeks and ponds. Its rattling notes can be heard during the entire warm ‘season, day and night. Owing tc the small size of its adhesive disks, ifs tree-‘ ‘frog’ ” ean- not climb into trees, but lives on the ground, Sige ing into fields, meadows and gardens. It attains a length of 144 inches from See to vent, but the
22 COPEIA
greater number of specimens are 1 inch or less in length. This species looks and acts more like a water frog than a tree-toad, although belonging to the latter family.
Chorophilus occidentalis, B. & G., is a beautiful species, rarely seen except in early spring. At this time, however, it occurs in great numbers in the large, shallow bayous, where it stands almost straight up- right, on some twigs or weeds, with its large throat pouch distended, giving vent to its piercing call. This call is very loud, similar in pitch to that of Hyla pick- eringi, but much shorter, and at a distance sounds like the ring of a steel chisel, when struck by a hammer.
This is the largest species of the genus Choro- philus, attaining a length of 1/2 inches, from snout to vent. It is stout of “body, the head is pointed, the arms and legs rather short and stout. The toes are very slightly webbed, the disks on fingers and toes scarcely noticeable. The subarticular tubercles are very prominent.
The structure of this species indicates terrestrial, possibly subterraneous habits. I have dug specimens out of the sweet-potato hills in my garden.
The smooth, shiny upper surfaces are rich reddish brown or fawn colored, like specimens of our northern Wood frog. There is a black band on each side, beginning at the nostril, running through the eye, over the tympanum to the shoulder. The “edge of the upper jaw is silvery white. The groin is rich yellow or orange, with large elongate or “round black spots. The undersides are ‘white, faintly spotted with brown on the throat, flesh colored posteriorly. On the back there may be two broad, dark brown parallel bands. The arms and legs are banded more or less distinctly with brown.
Chorophilus nigritus, Le Conte, or “Swamp Tree-toad,” is found during the Winter and early Spring, in great numbers about ditches and bayous.
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Its call is similar to that of the Cricket “frog,” but much louder, and the crepitations are slower. It is a shy species, extremely difficult to catch. The color is gray or greenish-black, with usually three longitu- dinal rows of black, light-edged, roundish spots. Oc- casionally these spots fuse into bands. The limbs are also spotted. On the upper jaw there is a pale yel- lowish line, extending to the arm insertion. <A nar- row black band starts at the tip of the snout, runs through the eye, covers the tympanum and ends at the shoulder or beyond. ‘The undersurfaces are greenish yellow. The back and outer parts of the limbs are covered with large round warts, giving the creature a very rough appearance. The belly is coarsely granulated. "The tips of the fingers and toes have small disks. The foot is slightly webbed. The head is even more pointed, and much narrower, than in the preceding species.
Chorophilus ocularis, Holbrook. This is_ the smallest of the North American frogs, rarely exceed- ing % inch from snout to vent. The head is pointed, the eyes large, the limbs and body slender. The disks on the fingers and toes are small but distinct. ‘The skin of the back is covered with very fine warts, that of the belly finely granulated. T he color is yellow, reddish brown or chestnut. ‘The upper jaw is mar- gined with white. There are three longitudinal dark brown dorsal bands, one from the tip of the snout to above the vent, usually bifurcate posteriorly, and one on each side of this, starting behind the eye. Under- neath, it is pale yellow. The male’s throat is dark brown, and can be distended to the size of a large pea. The arms and legs are indistinctly cross-banded.
These small “frogs” are very numerous near Jacksonville, but owing to their small size, are seldom seen. During the Spring months, they abound on the marginal vegetation of the “bayous,” the males giving
24 COPEIA
vent to their faint calls, which sound more like the chirping of insects than the calls of frogs.
Ricuarp F. DECKERT, New York, N. Y.
ON A YOUNG BLACK ANGEL FISH.
A Pomancanthus arcuatus, 3 or 4 inches long, taken near San Antonio Bridge, Porto Rico, last July, in a biological survey of that island which is being forwarded by the N. Y. Academy of Sciences and the Insular Government, had bright vellow, in- stead of whitish, cross bands. Yellow bands are then, not diagnostic of paru, perhaps they are ordinarily yellow in sufficiently small arcuatus.
J. T. Nicwois,
New York, N.Y.
Edited by J. T. Nicuots, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
New York, August 24, 1915. No. 21
Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates
THE CAPTURE OF A BASKING SHARK ON LONG ISLAND.
A fourteen-foot Basking shark, Cetorhinus maa- imus, was captured on June 29, 1915, at Westhamp- ton Beach, on the south shore of Long Island. It had become entangled in a bluefish net operated by a loeal fisherman, and was hauled ashore still alive. T had the good fortune to examine it two days later as it was being cut up for removal from the beach, and obtained the head, jaws and several other parts for the American Museum for further study.
Records of Cetorhinus as far south as Long Is- land are extremely few, so that it seems desirable to call attention to the present specimen.
The shark was a male, fourteen feet in length. The caudal had been cut off before I reached the scene, so that I could not verify the exact length; but, from the measurements I made, the length was ap- parently as stated. The specimen was therefore small for this species, not even half grown.
The color of the shark was grayish black, a little darker above than on the sides and belly. The under side was not white, as it is stated to be in textbooks; the only white about the specimen was a triangular patch on the under side of the rostrum, extending from the mouth as a base, to a point half-way to the
26 COPEIA
tip of the snout. There were also two pale bands in the mid-ventral region, one on either side of the me- dian line; they were about two inches in width, and had broken or jagged margins. They were confined
to a portion of the ventral region, in front of the mix- opterygia.
The most striking feature about the shark, to one who had never seen the species in the flesh, was the extraordinary shape of the rostrum. This was the exact form of the lead end of a bullet, and so unlike that of any other shark that it could serve as a diag- nostic character equally with the enormous gill-clefts, to distinguish this species from all other sharks. It should be noted, too, that the rostrum was not short, as it is represented in textbook figures, but projected considerably in front of the mouth.
The whole surface was covered with minute tu- bercles, which were rough to the touch when the shark was stroked from behind forward. The tubercles were especially large at the tip of the rostrum. On the snout, both above and below, were sensory pores distributed in groups. ‘They were transver sely elon- gated and very large, some ‘of them “% inch in width. The long, slender gill- rakers, which are so distinctive of this species, were black in color, and looked like long, finely toothed combs attached to the gill bars. The longest rays were 2% inches in length. The teeth were set in the jaws in three rows, except in a few spots, where there were a few extra teeth giving the appearance of four rows.
The alimentary canal contained a large quantity of bright red material. On examination under the microscope, this resolved itself into a vast multitude of minute Crustacea (species not yet determined), whose reddish bodies lent color to the entire mass.
A few measurements, especially of the head re- gion, may here be given: Rostrum, from front of
COPEIA
(AS)
27
eye, 104 m. Diameter of eye, 1% in. Front of eye to nostril, 8 m. Width of nostril, 1% in. Distane between inner margins of nostrils, 4°4 in. Mixoptery- gia, 7’ in.
A fuller account of this specimen with photo- graphs of the freshly-captured fish and figures of an- atomical details will shortly be published.
L. Hussaxor, NewYork, N.Y.
ON FISH-BONES IN A KINGFISHER’S NEST. Through the kindness of Mr. S. H. Chubb of the
American Museum the writer has had for examina- tion a mass of fish-bones, scales, etc., from the recent- ly occupied nest of a kingfisher, and has looked through to determine the species of fish eaten in this ease. The results have both an ichthvological and or- nithological interest.
The nest referred to was placed in a bank about one-quarter of a mile from Van Cortlandt Lake, New York City. It was occupied by young kingfishers 29 days between the times of hatching ‘and departure. Immediately after they had gone Mr. Chubb removed about two quarts of soil from the bottom of the nest, and from this about 220 cubic centimeters of clean bones, scales, etc., was obtained, representing prob- ably three-quarters of all the fish remains in the nest.
The most striking single objects among the bones were the beautifully pr eserved tooth- bearing pharyn- geals of small cypr inids, of which there were 113. The mass was carefully gone over for readily recognizable bones of other fishes and surprisingly few encoun- tered. Lower jaw bones of 2 or 3 small pickerel (E'sox), 3 to 5 inches in length, were noted; also the opercle of a yellow perch (Perca flavescens), about
28 COPEIA
four inches, and anal spines of a sunfish, about three inches long. ‘There were also pieces of the shell of a crawfish. The absence of suckers (catostomids) was unexpected. ‘Their pharyngeals would have been as easily picked out as those of the eyprinids, and sup- posing that their bottom habits protected them, then how about the crawfish?
Of the 113 mmnow pharyngeals, 90 were identi- fied as from the golden shiner (Abramis crysoleucas) , 21, not satisfactorily determinable, were perhaps also this species, and two were from different individuals of the goldfish (Carassius auratus). ‘That particular nest mil kingfishers was then concerned with cyprinids, of which at a minimum estimate it accounted for 76 individuals, and of these the golden shiner made the greater part, probably almost the entire number.
The golden shiner is probably the most abundant fish in still and slow- moving fresh-waters near New York City, yet it would se: arcely figure as largely tn the kingfisher’s bill of fare were there no discrimina- tion in its favor. ‘There is no obvious reason why the goldfish, which is also abundant, should not be as read- ily obtained. ‘The writer suspects that the kingfisher selects that fish which in a given region furnishes it the best food supply, and specializes i in the capture of the same disregarding other species. It would be in- teresting to learn if the many kingfishers which hunt over the salt and brackish waters near New York spe-
cialize on Menidia or Fundulus. J. T. NicHOLs,
New York, N.Y.
THE TRANSFORMATION OF SPELERPES RUBER (DAUDIN).
Various allusions in literature to the life history of Spelerpes ruber as being well known, (though I have been unable to find any published account of
COPEIA 29
it), have made me hesitate in publishing these notes, but I will give them for what they are worth.
Practically all the specimens studied came from a spring near Haverford, Pa., in which spring both aduits and larvae were very abundant, and ten or fitf- teen could be caught at any time. Some of the larvae were much larger than small adults, my smallest adults being 80-90 mm. long and my largest larvae about 110 mm. long. These larvae were distinguish- able from those of §. bislineatus, by much larger size and uniform coloration. The smallest seen were as long (50-60 mm.) as the largest larvae of S. bislinea- tus seen and much more robust.
In January of this year I started keeping the lar- vae alive with a view to watching the transformation. I continued this into the spring with no success, the larvae all dying in a few days, or living on with no signs of transformation.
However, in a series of ten larvae collected on May 20, the largest (110 mm.) showed tinges of red in the ground color and smaller gills. On May 22 this specimen had lost all the filaments of the gills and had taken to lying entirely out of water.
May 23—The gill stumps were shrivelling, the tail fin had gone, and the color was more like that of the adult. A smaller one of the same lot of May 20 (90 mm.) had also lost the tail fin and showed a red- dish tinge. The gill filaments also were smaller.
May 24—A (the large one) gills were stubs— eyelid developed—mouth nearly developed—B (the smaller one) eyelids developing—mouth developing —gill filaments ragged.
May 27—A, mouth developed fully—tongue free, gills mere stubs.
May 28—I collected an adult which showed un- mistakable signs of having just completed the trans- formation.
30 COPEIA
May 29—Not much change in larvae from May 27.
May 31—I killed and preserved the large larva A, and the recently transformed adult of May 28. The gill stubs on A were very small and no longer than their width.
June 1—B has lain out of water for two days. The gill filaments are going.
June 4—B lying out of water all the time. Prac- ticing bucco-pharyngeal respiration. Gill filaments about gone. This specimen was then killed and pre- served.
It is thus apparent that Spelerpes ruber begins to transform in May. The time of breeding is not known to me and I can find no record of it. The animals remain active all winter in springs. At the time of transformation they are probably well over a year old, as two lots can be distinguished, 80-110 mm. long, and 50-60 mm. long. ‘This would seem to make the duration of the larval period about two years, and would also point to a definite breeding period, prob- ably in the spring and summer. Of course these last statements are simply conjectures.
The question of Siren operculata Beauvois arises here. I am of the opinion that before so well estab- lished a name as S$ pelerpes ruber be changed, it should be shown beyond the shadow of a doubt that the larva on which Beauvois founded his operculata is identical with the larva of ruber.
E. R. Dunn, Haverford, Pa.
NOTES ON AMBLYSTOMA TIGRINUM AT FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA.
During the month of May, 1918, the writer had good opportunities to study this salamander at an al- titude of a little under 7,000 feet.
COPEIA 31
This species was the only salamander observed in the vicinity and was found in a small stream near
a lumber mill. The rocks about Flagstaff are red voleanic larva.
Both the gilled and air breathing forms were found together in the water, some of the specimens reaching a length of about six inches. The color of the gilled forms was olive brown with dark irregular spots on the back, sides, belly and tail fin. he air breathing forms were darker and less spotted. This color varied somewhat with individuals and with the surrounding temperature, the specimens becoming lighter as the air or water became warmer. ‘The gills were not as fully developed as in many specimens which the writer has seen in captivity, and the caudal fin was not as broad. Neither did it extend up the back as far.
Several boys in the vicinity reported finding their eggs during the month of June, while the writer was absent, and secured several immature gilled specimens about two inches in length.
No land forms were found out of the water, al- though they may have occurred there. But as the ground is exceedingly dry in this vicinity the writer doubts whether this species is found far from water at this locality.
These salamanders were quite abundant in cer- tain pools of the stream, as many as nine being count- ed in a pool about seven feet in diameter and one foot deep. They were very active and difficult to capture by hand, and generally darted to cover under some submerged plank or stone.
Several specimens of the land form, which the writer collected, are now thriving in shallow water at the Bronx Zoological Park. They feed greedily and will even snap harmlessly at one’s finger.
* Dwicut FRANKLIN, New York, N.Y.
32 COPEIA
RHINOCHILUS LECONTEI IN LOS ANGELES.
In the Corria of February 20, 1915, (No. 15) appeared a list of fourteen snakes found in the vicin- ity of the city of Los Angeles. ‘To those must now be added one more recently discovered at Belvidere, California, by Mr. Viggo Tarp. ‘This is Rhinochilus lecontei (Baird & Girard) and was found on May 13, 1915, about two miles from the beach on a bare hill near some gopher holes. This specimen is now thriv- ing in captivity on a diet of lizards. It is 38'2 inches long.
The only other traces I have found of LeConte’s Snake have been in La Canada Valley, where an old
bee-man named Charlie Metcalf had skins of two ~
other specimens found in the valley where he lives. Near Los Angeles, LeConte’s Snake is considered rare. Pau. D. BR. Rutan Los Angeles, California.
Edited by J. T. Nicnots, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
So ewe
eS ea
New York, September 22, 1915. No. 22
Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates
A PECULIAR COLOR DISPLAY IN THE YELLOW GRUNT.
While at the Marine Biological Station of the Carnegie Institution at the Tortugas Islands in the Gulf of Mexico, I had many opportunities to ob- serve the brilliant colors of the coral-reef fishes. These are seen at their best only when the fish are at liberty in their natural waters.
The yellow grunt, Haemulon sciurus, has the head and body broadly striped with chrome-yellow and lavendar-blue. The anals and ventrals are yel- low, the belly and throat white. The outside of the fish would seem to afford a sufficient display; but, as in other grunts, the interior of the mouth is bright- colored. In this species it is vermilion everywhere from the caudal margin of the breathing valves as far back as the first gill slit. The mouth is large and can be opened very wide. When so opened it ap- pears as a conspicuous red patch.
One morning in July, 1905, I crushed a large black sea-urchin (Diadema) and threw it into the wa- ter. Two yellow grunts soon appeared and began to feed on it. When I first saw them they were about a foot apart and directly facing each other. Presently one of them opened its mouth very wide so as to dis- play fully its red lining. He then swam toward the other. The second fish opened its mouth in the same way but did not move. The first kept on until the
34 COPEIA
jaws of the two touched. His mouth was a bit larger or wider open so that his Jaws overlapped for an in- stant those of the other fish. They then separated.
During the whole of this manoeuvre the two fish faced each other. ‘To each the vivid red mouth lining of the other must be visible. ‘To the human observer it is startlingly conspicuous. He cannot escape the impression that the fish are making a display; he might be pardoned for saying that they are bluffing. This impression is strengthened by the wide gaping of the mouth, by the facing position and by the rather deliberate approach. It is as if each were expecting the other to flee at any moment.
Such displays of conspicuous color patches are not rare among inconspicuous insects. ‘They are thought to have been developed through natural se- lection and to serve the purpose of startling an enemy (Schreckfarben). In conspicuously colored insects they are probably quite as common, but are over- looked because superimposed on an already conspicu- ous coloration. In the grunt, the red mouth patch displayed suddenly on a . background of yellow and blue stripes is to man conspicuous and startling. If seen in an insect it would undoubtedly be classified as a ‘“Schreckfarbe.” How it affects the fish’s naturai enemies we can hardly know.
The color patch is revealed to its fullest extent when the mouth is opened wide in the presence of an enemy. It seems to be little exposed in the usual tak- ing of food. I have never seen it then. But the food of the species consists of crustaceans and annelids, whose visual organs, so far as we know, are unaf- fected by any color display. Selection need then hardly deprive the Haemulons of their mouth patches in order to assure their food supply. Considered as a contrivance for bluffing enemies the mouth patch seems of doubtful advantage. It is to be ex- pected that enemies, if affected by it, would soon become accustomed to it and be no longer startled.
COPEIA 35
In any case it helps them to see better the oral wea- pon with which they are threatened. It should be easier for them to meet the attack.
On the whole it seems wisest to regard the dis- play as merely incidental to the opening of the mouth in attack and as quite devoid of biological meaning. In its effect on food it is neutral; in its effect on ene- mies the advantages and disadvantages seem to be pretty well balanced. The disadvantages may have rather the best of it. The analysis of the case may help to an understanding of similar displays in other forms. It suggests caution in interpreting them.
JACOB REIGHARD, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
PIKE-FISHING INCIDENTS.
The following incidents occurred during my va- cation this summer in the Adirondack Mountains:
On August 14th Dr. H and myself went out pike fishing on Stony Creek Pond No. 1, in Cor- eys. At the time the incident happened I was rowing the boat and the Doctor trolling, using a shiner for bait. A pike was struck and after some play the line came away minus bait, hook and an inch of the gut to which the hook had been attached. Another baited hook was put on and we continued around the pond. On coming a second time to the spot where the fish was lost there was another strike, and a pike a little under two pounds was safely landed in the boat.
At the first cut I made in dressing this fish out dropped a shiner with the Doctor’s lost hook and inch of gut snood fastened to it. The gut had been sawed off by the pike’s teeth.
A few days later while fishing in the same place the following occurred:
I was still fishing, using a live perch as bait. My first catch was a pike weighing in the vicinity of one and a half pounds. He had swallowed the perch, and,
36 COPELA
finding it impossible to reach the hook or even to see it, I opened his belly, and finding the perch still alive, threw it into the water. While it could not right it- self and swim away, it continued for some time to paddle around in a circle. Cuas. W. Meap, New York, N.Y.
NOTES ON A FISH CAUGHT THREE TIMES.
The writer has on several occasions seen fishes bite on a hook when they have already been caught once.
In one instance on Upper Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks a yellow perch (P. flavescens) was caught, a worm being used as bait. ‘The lower half of its tail was slightly deformed and this served as a mark of identification. As the writer was not after perch, the fish was tossed back uninjured.
Within about ten minutes it had been caught three times.
Dwicut FRANKLIN,
New York, N. Y.
BOX TORTOISE (Terrapene carolina) SW1IM- MING A CREEK.
On May 9th, about eight o’clock in the morning,
I noticed an object moving about in Darby Creek, about a mile above Addingham. It was a few feet out from the shore, and through a pair of field-glasses was seen to be a box tortoise. At this point the creek is about fifteen to twenty yards wide, and the tortoise was headed directly for the opposite shore. It swam very slowly and laboriously, only the highest part of the carapace and the head, from just below the eyes, projecting above the surface of the water. As it moved along, it bobbed up and down. After much effort, when within a few feet of landing on the oppo-
COPEIA 37
site shore, it stopped to rest a second or so, floating a short distance down stream, when it resumed its movements towards the bank. Close to the bank it stopped paddling, floated gently up on the mud, and after a few moments’ rest, crawled slowly out on the muddy shore, stopping again for a rest. Five or ten minutes later it was still resting in the sun. Never having seen the box tortoise swim before, this note is offered as possibly of interest. Detos EK. CuLver, Addingham, Pa.
NUMBER OF YOUNG PRODUCED BY CERTAIN SNAKES.
I quote the following records from my notes, trusting that they may be of some interest. Al the specimens referred to were taken in Nelson County, Va):
Natrix septemvittata. August 31st, 1914. Five young.
Natriv sipedon. I have never observed over 40 young, but have three records of this number, one each of 86, 38, and 25. Dates of birth, August 12th- October 12th.
Heterodon platyrhinos. August 16th, 1913. A nest of 34 eggs ploughed up in a field. They hatched August 23-27.
Agkistrodon contortriv. September 1, 1913, 7 young. ‘These young snakes, though born alive, had well developed egg-teeth, which were not present in the young of either Natrix. They were quite evident in the young of Heterodon. Hei) Done.
Haverford, Pa.
SOME AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF CECIL COUNTRY, MARYLAND.
This list represents material I have examined or collected, unless otherwise stated. Sometimes, as
38 COPEIA
at Bacon Hill, Northeast, Stony Run, etc., several collections have been made, at different seasons of the year. Though incomplete, the list cludes the greater number of species found in the county, espe- cially the commoner forms:
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis (Daudin). Seen at Conowingo and reported from Octoraro and Bald Friar. Occasional in the Susquehanna.
Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw). Reported at Conowingo, though not obtained by me.
Plethodon erythronotus (Green). Singerly, Bacon Hill, Northeast and Bohemia Manor. Usually locally abundant.
Spelerpes bislineatus (Green). Bacon Hill. Few taken.
Spelerpes ruber (Daudin). Bacon Hill, North- east, Bohemia Manor and Piney Creek. Abundant in springs.
Desmognathus fusca (Rafinesque) Conowingo, Bacon Hill, Singerly and Piney Creek. Common.
Bufo americanus Holbrook. Conowingo and Porter’s Bridge. Bohemia: Manor at Bohemia Bridge, near Warwick and Cecilton, Bohemia Mills and Lit- tle Bohemia Creek. Northeast, Bacon Hill, Elkton and Singerly. Abundant.
Acris gryllus crepitans (Baird). Northeast, Bacon Hill, Stony Run, Charlestown, Elkton. Abun- dant. Bohemia Manor along Big and Little Bohemia Creeks. Devil’s Elbow, ete. Also common at Eik Neck and Piney Creek.
Hyla pickeringit (Holbrook). Stony Run, Charlestown, Northeast, Bacon Hill, Singerly, Elk- ton, Conowingo. Common, and heard usually in the spring.
Hyla evittata. G.S. Miller. An adult example was obtained by Mr. Paul Lorrilliere at Georgetown on the Sassafras River, July 20, 1915. It is interest-
COPEIA 39
ing as the most northern locality in the distribution of the species. Mr. Lorrilliere writes, “Last night about seven o’clock, while casting for bass, I heard a single clear note, soon followed by several more. The man rowing me about said it was produced by a little green frog, which hung on the leaves of docks, etc., and that it had a little bag under its throat which appeared to collapse when it made its call. The only sound that appears like this call is a twang on a stretched rubber, which is quieted before it has vi- brated more than a second. It can be heard a quarter of a mile or more on a still night.”
Hyla versicolor. We Conte. Elkton, Singerly, Northeast, Bacon Hill, Elk Neck, Little Bohemia Creek.
Rana pipiens Schreber. Bohemia Manor.
Rana catesbeiana Shaw. Elkton, Northeast, Stony Run, Conowingo, Octoraro and Elk Neck. Abundant in Bohemia Manor, along Big and Little Bohemia Creeks, Devil’s Elbow, Bohemia Bridge and Bohemia Mills.
Rana clamata Daudin. Porter’s Bridge, Cono- wingo, Stony Run, Charlestown, Bacon Hill, Octo- raro, Piney Creek, Elk Neck, and Bohemia Manor, along Little and Big Bohemia Creeks, Devil’s EI- have Scotehman’s Guede Dike Creek, Bohemia Bridge and Bohemia Mills. Common.
Rana palustris, Le Conte. Porter’s Bridge, Con- owingo, Octoraro, Charlestown, Stony Run, Bohemia Manor and Big Bohemia Creek. Common.
Rana sylvatica, Le Conte. Abundant about Ba- con Hill and Singerly.
Natrix sipendon (Linn). Octoraro, Stony Run and Elk Neck. Very abundant in Bohemia Manor, along Big and Little Bohemia Creeks, Devil’s El- bow, Bohemia Mills, Bohemia Bridge and Warwick.
Elaphe obsoletus (Say). A large example ob- tained in Bohemia Manor near Bohemia Mills. Also seen near Bohemia Bridge.
40 COPEIA
Coluber constrictor (Linn). Little Bohemia Creek, Bacon Hill, Singerly, Stony Run and Devil’s Elbow.
Thamnophis sauritus (Linn). Bacon Hill and reported from near Devil’s Elbow in Bohemia Manor.
Thamnophis sirtalis (Linn). Elkton, Singerly, Bacon Hill, Warwick and Stony Run.
Lam propeltis doliatus (inn). Stony Run.
Heterodon platirhinos (Watreille). Bohemia Mills, Bacon Hill, Singerly. Bohemia Bridge and near Warwick.
Sceloporus undulatus (Latreille). Elk Neck, Bacon Hill, Singerly, Warwick.
Chelydra serpentina (Linn). Big and Little Bohemia Creeks, Bohemia Bridge, Conowingo, Elk- ton, Bacon Hill, Northeast, Singerly, Conowingo.
Kinosternon pensylvanicum (Gmelin). Big and Little Bohemia Creeks, Bohemia Bridge and Elk Neck. Common.
Pseudemys rubriventris (ue Conte). Seen along the Little Bohemia Creek, though not collected.
Chrysemys picta (Schneider). Little and Big Bohemia Creeks, Bohemia Mills, Elk Neck, Cono- wingo and Octoraro.
Clemmys guttata (Schneider). Bacon Hill and Northeast.
Terrapene carolina (Linn). Warwick, Devil’s Elbow, Bohemia Bridge, Little Bohemia Creek, Bo- hemia Mills, Bohemia Bridge, Piney Creek, Elk Neck, Elkton, Northeast, Bacon Hill, Singerly, Con- owingo and Octoraro.
Henry W. Fow er, Philadelphia, Pa.
Edited by J. T. NicHots, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
New York, October 15, 1915. No. 23
\ BAPE - Orn \ i , | . > | as
Published to advance the Science of Oe vertebrates
ICHTHYOLOGICAL NOTES FROM MON- TAUK, LONG ISLAND.
The following notes were secured during the course of field work undertaken for the Brooklyn Museum in the early part of August, 1915. Some local names are included in quotation marks:
Sphyrna zygaena (Linn.). A Hammerhead, about five feet in length, was seen several miles off Montauk Point on August 8th.
Clupea harengus Linn. A specimen about sev- en inches long was picked up in fairly fresh condition on the ocean “beach on August 7. The species seems to be unusual in Long Island waters at this season.
Brevoortia tyrannus (Latrobe). The local Men- haden fishery has practically failed this season.
Scomber scombrus Linn. “Boston Mackerel.” The pound-net fishermen were securing a few of these fish. A number of young macker el were found in the stomachs of Roseate Terns (Sterna dougall) .
Xiphias gladius Linn. Single Swordfish were taken by harpoon off Montauk Point on July 10, 14 and 15, 1915, by William D. Parsons, Jr., of Mon- tauk.
Caranx crysos (Mitchill). “Jack.” A seven- inch specimen was taken in a pound-net on Au- gust 11.
Poronotus triacanthus (Peck). “Butterfish” ; “Shiner.” This fish was entering the pound-nets in large numbers in early August.
42 COPEIA
Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede). Abundant in Fort Pond, where it was introduced about 1887. On July 20, 1915, an example having two complete and distinct heads was caught, taken to the Montauk Inn, and eaten. It was an adult in good condition.
Morone americana (Gmelin). Exceedingly abundant in Fort Pond, Great Pond, and Reed Pond. ‘These waters are now landlocked, but were stocked lou thirty years ago. On August 11 no less than 75 White Perch were caught in F ort Pond by two ane and a boy. This body of water, unlike Great Pond, is quite fresh. The largest of the fish weighed just under a pound. Some of the local sea- farers have a curious notion that these perch have become “transformed” from some distant salt-water species. Unfortunately, those caught are seldom eaten, and we saw one lar ge lot fed = hogs.
Centropristes striatus (Linn.). Many Sea Bass were being taken on hand-lines off Montauk Point, and we saw hundreds enclosed in pounds in Fort Pond Bay, where they are kept for a better market later in the season. Meanwhile they are fed on chopped squid, fish entrails, ete. This year the spe- cies is affected by an eye disease, which Capt. E. B. Tuthill says he observed also ten or twelve years ago. Some fish, when caught, are seen to have their eyes covered with a whitish film. Subsequently the eye begins to bulge out, and the outer surface to disin- tegr ate, hanging i in white shreds. At this stage the unfortunate victims are pursued by their fellows, which bite at the protruding eyes, causing death after a number of hours.
Spheroides maculatus (Bloch & Schneider). A specimen 91/2 inches in total length was taken on August 11.
Chilomycterus schoepfi (Walbaum). “Porcu- pine-fish.” A specimen was taken in a pound-net at Fort Pond Bay on August 11, but was thrown away
i aa inna aceite minal ile
COPEIA 43
before we saw it. A few are said to have been caught at the same place earlier in the summer.
Mola mola (Linn.). “Sunfish.” One was taken by William D. Parsons, Jr., on July 15 at sea south of Montauk Point. It was captured with Swordfish tackle, and cut up for use as lobster bait.
Merluccius bilinearis (Mitchill) “Whiting.” A few of these fish were taken by a pound-net fisher- man on August 11.
Urophycis chuss (Walbaum) “Ling.” A small specimen was picked out of a boatload of pound-net fish on August 11.
R. C. Murpuy, Francis Harper, Brooklyn, N.Y.
NOTES ON FISHES NEAR NEW YORK.
In Coretta No. 2, February, 1914, occur dates of local occurrence of marine fishes in autumn and early winter. Examination of Dr. Wiegmann’s notes shows a number of records which are late or other- wise of interest, not published at that time. With these we here include one or two records of specimens received at the American Museum of Natural His- tory.
Mustelus canis. December 13, 1913 (Coney Island).
Galeocerdo tigrinus. A large tiger shark was captured off Islip, Long Island, Sept. 11, 1915. The head was sent to the American Museum by Captain John C. Doxsee.
Raja ocellata. December 30, 1911 (Seventeen- fathom Banks).
Leptocephalus conger. “Silver Eel.” Decem- ber 30, 1911 (Seventeen-fathom Banks).
Pomolobus pseudoharengus. December 18, 1913 (Coney Island).
Brevoortia tyrannus. December 5, 1913 (Coney Island).
44. COPEIA
Stolephorus mitchillii. October 30, 1913 (Coney Island).
Synodus foetens. October 30, 1913 (Coney Island).
Hyporhamphus roberti. October 16, 1913 (Coney Island).
Fistularia tabacaria. October 16, 1913 (Coney Island).
Siphostoma fuscum. December 13, 1913 (Coney Island).
Sphyraena borealis. The record for Nov. 16, in Copria, No. 2, was of a specimen 176 mm. in total length, taken in 1912 not 1913.
Vomer setipinnis. October 30, 1913 (Coney Island).
Trachinotus carolinus. October 30, 1913 (Coney Island).
Pomatomus saltatrix, October 16, 1913 (Coney Island).
Pseudopriacanthus altus. A specimen of this rare fish, 38 mm. in total length. October 30, 1913 (Coney Island).
Orthopristis chrysopterus. November 17, 1913 (Coney Island).
Bairdiella chrysura. December 18, 1913 (Con- ey Island).
Leiostomus wanthurus. December 29, 1913 (Coney Island).
Menticirrhus sawatilis. November 4, 1913 (Con- ey Island). One young.
Pogonias cromis. December 18, 1913 (Coney Island).
Chaetodon ocellatus. October 30, 1913 (Coney Island).
Chilomycterus schoepfii. November 5, 1912 (Long Beach).
Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus. A few were taken Dec. 29, 1913, at Coney Island, also large masses of their green eggs.
COPEIA 45
Prionotus strigatus. November 4, 1918 (Coney Island). One young.
Rissola marginata. October 30, 19138 (Coney Island).
Merluccius bilincaris. December 18, 1918 (Con- ey Island).
Pollachius virens. A young specimen about six inches long, City Island, July 15, 1915, brought to the Museum by Messrs. C. & O. Falkenbach.
Urophycis regius. December 18, 1918 (Coney Island).
Lophopsetta maculata. December 18, 1913 (Coney Island).
W. H. WircMann, Ji. “E. NicHoLs, New York City.
AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A BLUE RACER SNAKE, BASCANION FLAG- ELLIFORMIS AND A “GOPHER.
A gopher of a species unidentified was running through the grass near my garden gate, and a Blue racer snake was loosely coiled up in the road, appar- ently on the watch, but not seeing me. As soon as the gopher became aware of the presence of the snake it darted forward, and commenced circling about the snake and from time to time running in and nipping at the body of the snake, and jumping back. The snake turned its head about constantly, watching the gopher, and twice it made ineffectual strikes at the running animal, with its open mouth. After some minutes of this kind of thing the gopher ran for its burrow and the snake thrust out its tongue and started towards the house, and being headed off, climbed up a small juniper tree, from which it was dislodged, and allowed to escape, which it did with incredible speed. I witnessed no evidence whatever of the power which it is popularly believed snakes
46 COPEIA
have of charming their prey, as all the wiles of this snake had no effect upon the gopher. Herman Haupt, JR., South Haven, Michigan.
THE MINK FROG, RANA SEPTENTRION- ALIS BAIRD, IN ONTARIO.
Mr. P. H. Pope’s note on the distribution of the mink frog in Maine,* recalls some of my experi- ences with this species while stationed at Pr mi 08 P. Young’s boys’ camp on Otter Lake, Dorset, On- tarlo, In the summer of 1913.
On July 7, in a peaty lake with clear sphag- naceous border we found several Rana septentrion- alis. From July 7-14, we heard at night along the shore of Otter Lake the peculiar note which later proved the croak of the mink frog. On the 15th of July at 10 P. M. we heard sever al frogs and started with flashlight for the Peat Lake where the species was in chorus. The air temperature ranged from 52° to 55° F., but the water of Otter Lake at its surface registered 69° F.
On July 16th and 17th, we examined the place closely. All along the north edge of the lake were white water lilies, yellow spatterdocks and water shields. These three made a perfect carpet on the water’s surface. On these plants durmg the day the mink frogs rested. Whenever the sun went. under a cloud or it became overcast they would croak. The water was about two feet deep. By pushing our canoe through the water plants toward the frogs, one person could place a landing net in front of the quar- ry while the other with the paddle could gently cause the frog to leap into the net. In this way we caught 15 specimens. Often the frogs would jump along on the lily pads, sometimes for considerable distance ; sel- dom, if ever, did they give a cry like frightened young bullfrogs. Another favorite position was resting be-
*Coprra, Mar. 15, 1915, No. 16.
COPEIA 47
tween the overlapping lily pads with just the head protruding, while in the center of the pond where there were only isolated plants, the frogs disappeared before we saw them, the “wake” near a lily pad indi- cating their former presence.
In the outlet to Otter Lake (Ten Mile Creek between Lake of Bays and Otter Lake) we found them common, July 24, on muddy bottoms where water lihes were abundant. In the same kind of situ- ation they occurred on Porridge Lake, July 28. An- other habitat we discovered August 31 was a beaver lake where Cassandra and all the associated heath- like plants grew. Finally, on Fletcher Lake, Sep- tember 1, we found them in the shallow, sandy shores amongst pipeworts (Hricaulon articulatum).
After July 15th and 16th we heard no more choruses. On the latter date we captured one or two frogs with the stump of the tail remaining. These were about 38 mm. (112 inches) from snout to vent, or little below the two largest individuals taken (49 mm. or 2 inches). The other specimens which were not lost measured 47, 42, 42, 43, 40, 40 mm. res pec- tively. None of these eight specimens had fully de- veloped eggs, though one female surely would have bred the following year.. The middle of July, when the chorus was recorded, accords well with Garnier’s observed season of breeding for this species, but we had small opportunity to determine if it obtained at Otter Lake.
This species cannot be called solely a river spe- cles; it has a “chant amour” which at chorus season can be heard one-third to one-half of a mile away; the name “mink frog” seems very apropos for this spe- cies, at least for Ontario specimens; the tadpoles re- main at least one winter in this stage and transform at a size approaching that of the adult. The season of breeding, the length of larval period, the size of transformed frog place it with the green frog and bull frog. Neither of these species seemed to be asso-
48 COPEIA
ciated with it particularly although each was in the Lake of Bays region in numbers.
A. Hi. Wricart, Ithaca, N.Y.
RATTLESNAKES ON CATALINA ISLAND.
Van Denburgh and Slevin (Proc. Calif. Acad. of Sci., 4th Ser., Vol. IV, pp. 138-139) state that the presence of rattlesnakes on Catalina Island off the coast of southern California was first recorded by Yarrow from a specimen taken there by Mr. Schu- macher in 1876. One additional specimen only is re- corded. In that so little is known of Crotalus ore- gonus on the island, the following notes may be of interest:
During July, 1906, while camped at Whites Landing, I killed a rattlesnake about two feet long. ‘The specimen was not saved. I believe that several other specimens were killed during the summer. At that time rattlesnakes were Sane Se ed fairly common over the greater part of the eastern slope of the island.
Mr. ~ Murray L. Royar, who has just returned from a summer spent at “Ay alon, has donated to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology a small specimen of Crotalus oregonus taken at Avalon on August 2, 1915. Mr. Royar reports that old-timers on Catalina Island say that there were no rattlesnakes on the isl- and in early days. Later, when hay and other crops were introduced, rattlesnakes appeared. The rep- tiles were first seen around barns and near civiliza- tion and later took to the hills. He also states that even at the present time few are found far inland.
Haro C. Bryant, Berkeley, Calif.
Edited by J. T. Nicuots, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
ee eee eT
New York, November 19, 1915. No. 24
Published to advance the Science of poldepioaded vertebrates
A CANNIBALISTIC PTEROPHRYNE
In Fishes of North Carolina p. 400, speaking of the Mouse Fish, Smith.says: “The habits of the species are known chiefly from its behavior in aquaria. The fish are cannibalistic, denuding their fellows of their fleshy appendages and fins and sometimes swal- lowing their smaller companions whole.”
On July 2, 1915, I caught a Pterophryne histrio 85 mm. total length in the bight of Cape Lookout, N. C., and placed it in an aquarium aboard my yacht. It was very lively and continually moving about. After it had been in captivity about eighteen hours it was seen to disgorge a small Pterophryne 38 mm. in total length. I at once transferred both specimens to formalin’ solution.
This conclusively proves that the species does not confine its cannibalistic habit to life in captivity, as the small fish had positively been swallowed before capture.
RusseLt J. Cores, Danville, Va.
A LIST OF SANTO DOMINGO FISHES.
Many years ago a collection was received at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, made by Prof. W. M. Gabb, at Santo Domingo, in the eastern part of the island. As this collection was
50 COPEIA
never reported, and a number of the species are addi- tions to that little known fish-fauna, this note is of- fered. The additions to the fauna are indicated by
the prefixed star.
Elops saurus Linn,
Albula vulpes (Linn.).
Dixonina nemoptera Fowler.
Sardinella humeralis (Valen- ciennes).
Opisthonema oglium (Le Sueur)
Anchovia browniit (Gmelin).
A. clupeoides (Swainson).
Synodus dominicensis Fowler.
Anguilla rostrata Le Sueur,
Muraenesow savanna (Cuvier).
Gymnothorax funebris (Ranzani).
G. ocellatus (Agassiz).
*Parexocoetus mesogaster (Bloch)...
*“Tylosurus timucu (Walbaum).
*Doryrhamphus lineatus (Valen- ciennes ).
*“Mugil curema Valenciennes.
Agonostomus monticola (Grit- fith).
Joturus pichardi Poey.
Sphyraena barracuda (Walbaum),
*S. quachancho Valenciennes.
*S, picudilla Poey.
Scomberomorus regalis (Bloch).
S. cavalla (Cuvier).
Gempylus serpens Cuvier.
Trichiurus lepturus Linn.
Trachurops crumenopthalmus (Bloch).
Caranx hippos (Linn.).
C. pisquetus Cuvier.
C. latus Agassiz.
Blepharis crinitus (Bloch).
Vomer setipinnis (Mitchill).
Selene vomer (Linn).
.Trachinotus glaucus (Bloch).
T. faleatus (Linn.).
Centropomus ensiferus Cuvier.
C. cuvieri Vaillant and Bocourt.
C. parallelus Poey.
Cephalopholis fulvus (Linn.).
C. fulvus onatalibi Valenciennes.
Epinephelus flavolimbatus Poey.
E. maculosus (Valenciennes).
Alphestes lightfooti (Fowler).
Priacanthus arenatus Cuvier.
*Lutinanus jocu (Schneider)
L. apodus (Walbaum).
*L. buccanella (Cuvier).
*L. vivanus (Cuvier).
L. synagris (Linn.).
“LL. mahogani (Cuvier).
Haemulon plumieri (Lacepede).
Anisotremus surinamensis (Bloch).
*Brachydeuterus corvinaeformis (Steindachner).
Pomadasis ramosus (Poey).
Calamus calamus (Valenciennes).
Eucinostomus gula_ (Valen- ciennes ).
“FE. harengulus Goode and Bean.
Gerres rhombeus Valenciennes.
G. olisthostomus Goode and Bean.
G. plumieri Valenciennes.
Odontoscion dentex (Cuvier).
Bairdiella ronchus (Cuvier).
*“Micropogon furnieri (Desmarest).
Umbrina coroides Valenciennes.
“Corvula subaequalis (Poey).
Polydactylus virginicus (L.in.).
“Eupomacentrus fuscus (Valen- ciennes).
"E. otophorus (Poey).
‘Tridio poeyi (Steindachner).
Chaetodipterus faber (Brous- sonet).
*Hepatus bahianus (Castelnau).
Lactophrys tricornis (Linn.).
*L. triqueter (Linn.).
Spheroides testudineus (Linn.).
*“Scorpaena plumieri Bloch.
Philypnus dormitor (Lacepede).
Eleotris pisonis (Gmelin).
Awaous taiasica (Lichtenstein).
Leptecheneis naucrates (Linn.).
Caulolatilus chrysops —(Valen- ciennes). *“Labrisomus nuchipinnis (Quoy
and Gaimard). Citharichthys spilopterus Gunther. *“Achirus lineatus (Linn.).
Henry W. Fowl ter,
Philadelphia, Pa.
COPEIA 51
NOTES ON THE FAUNA ABOUT THE HEADWATERS OF THE ALLE- GHENY, GENESEE AND SUS- QUEHANNA RIVERS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
During early June of 1906, the following fishes were found in a tributary of the Allegheny near Port Allegheny, in McKean County:
Campostoma anomalum, Pimephales notatus, Semotilus atromaculatus, Rhinichthys atronasus, Hy- bopsis kentuchiensis, Catostomus commersonni, Bol- eosoma nigrun and EHtheostoma flabellare.
The broad valley of this section offers more va- ried conditions than the upper headwaters, which are but small mountain brooks. Plethodon erythron- otus, P. glutinosus, Desmognathus fusca, both forms of Diemictylus viridescens, Bufo americanus, Hyla pickeringii, Rana palustris, R. clamata, R. catesbei- ana, R.-sylvatica and Thamnophis sirtalis were also found. Cryptobranchus alleganiensis was reported to occur abundantly sometimes, though not met with on this trip.
In the summer of 1904, Gyrinophilus por phyriti- cus, Spelerpes bislineatus, Plethodon erythronotus, Desmognathus fusca, Diemictylus viridescens, Bufo americanus, Rana palustris, R. clamata, R. catesbei- ana and R. sylvatica were found. All of these am- phibians are typical of the hemlock forests.
In the headwaters of the Genesee in Potter Co. the following were found in June of 1906: Salvelinus fontinalis, Semotilus atromaculatus, Rhinichthys atronasus, Catostomus commersonni, Hrimyzon su- cetta oblongus, Ameiurus nebulosus Schilbeodes gy- rinus and Cottus gracilis. Only Salvelinus and Rhin- ichthys were found in the very small brooks or rills, and this was also true of those in the Allegheny and Susquehanna drainages. The Genesee Rhinichthys was very dark, inclining largely to a dusky or black-
52 COPEIA
ish color. ‘Though some examples had a pale area in place of the usual dark lateral band, that of the breeding male varied from a dull dark red to a deep wine color on the trunk. Many had the lower sides of their bodies variegated with dusky and the tops of their heads finely granular. Desmognathus fusca occurs very abundantly and some few examples of Plethodon erythronotus were found, though the latter did not appear to be so abundant as in the hemlock forests near Port Allegheny. ‘Though P. glutinosus was not found at Gold Potter County it was met with in the Allegheny Valley at Seven Bridges. Other species about Gold were Diemictylus viride- scens, Bufo americanus, Hyla pickeringu, Acris gryl- lus crepitans, Rana palustris, R. clamata, R. sylvatica and Lampropeltis doliatus triangulus, Liopeltis ver- nalis and Sternothaerus odoratus were reported though not met with.
The smaller headwaters in the Allegheny and Susquehanna valleys offered the same meagre fish- fauna as the Genesee and about the only fish were Salvelinus fontinalis and Rhinichthys atronasus. Near Brooklyn in Potter Co. Spelerpes bislineatus was found and near Kilburne Natrix sipedon.
The writer, in company with H. W. Fowler, spent their vacations for three years in the places mentioned. ‘Thinking the Geographical distribution of the species listed proving of possible interest, they are herewith presented.
Tuomas D. Kem, Stelton, N. J.
LATE-BREEDING SPADE-FOOT TOADS, ETC.
On the evening of August 4, 1915, enormous numbers of Spadefoot Toads, (Scaphiopus hol- brooki) appeared in Patchogue, Yaphank, Middle Island and Coram. I made a twenty-five mile circuit through the villages named, and found the toads in
COPEIA 53
practically every pool. ‘There had been an extremely hard rain during the two previous days. Fowler's toads, (Bufo fowler’) common tree toads. (Hyla versicolor) and green frogs, (Rana clamitans) were also abundant. All the various kinds were in full song. On the next day enormous numbers of egos of the spade foot and Fowler’s toads were read- ily identified in the pools. On the 7th, the eggs were hatched, and on the fourteenth the young were almost half grown. Fully formed spade foot toads were found in Coram on September 4.
On the afternoon of September 12, Leopard Frogs, (Rana pipiens) were singing on the salt marshes near the Forge Life Saving Station.
FRANK OVERTON, Patchogue, N. Y.
AN ALBINO POND FROG.
In the Reptile House at the N. Y. Zoological Park there is on exhibition an albino specimen of the common Pond Frog, Rana clamitans. 'The crea- ture was caught by Henry, the young son of Chas. KE. Snyder, head keeper at the park, in a pond near his home in Searsdale, N. Y.
The color is rich lemon yellow above, white be- low, and on the hind limbs can be seen faint traces of cross bands. ‘The pupil and iris of the eye are pink, as in albino rats and rabbits. There is, however, a fine golden line bordering the pupil.
The frog feeds well, but seems to see insects which move above it, much quicker than those on a level with itself.
It is a female, about two-thirds grown, the length from snout to vent being 2’ inches. ‘The only other record of albino specimens of the order Salien- . tia in the United States, that the writer has know- ledge of, is that of some tadpoles of the common toad, Bufo americanus, reared from colorless spawn by
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Prof. Morgan, of Columbia University. The tad- poles gr adually acquired the normal coloration of the species. Another albino amphibian record is that of a specimen of the two-lined Salamander, Spelerpes bilineatus described by A. M. Banta and R. A. Gort- ner in Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. vol. 49, p. 377, pl. 54-55.
Other amphibians showing albinism are:
Edible Frog Rana esc ulenta of Eur ope, larvae.
Grass Frog R. temporaria of Europe, larvae and adults.
Yellow Bell toad Bombinator pachypus of Ku- rope, one adult.
Green Toad Bufo viridis of Kurope, one larva.
Midwife Toad Alytes obstetricans of Kurope, larvae and adults.
Ricuarp EF’. DECKERT, New York, N.Y.
ON A SMALL COLLECTION OF FROGS AND TOADS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
For the purpose of making a closer study of the Anura of Washington, D. ou and vicinity, I have started a small collection of ‘these interesting “varmints,” which are temporarily being kept in the office of Mr. R. G. Paine, of the Division of Reptiles, U. S. National Museum. My sincere thanks are due to Mr. Paine, one of the best known herpetologists of Washington, for his kindness in permitting a “neo- phite” like myself to impose on his time and good nature. But then you know he is a “crank” on the subject, himself. In collecting I have also had the assistance of IE ASO: Dwyer, whose sharpness of vision and ated of limb have been, and, I trust, will be in the future of great benefit to our undertaking. Experience so far seems to prove that Bufo fowleri is the more common toad in this vicinity, sev-
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eral specimens having been found on the farm of my friend, Mr. William “Palmer, in Alexandria County, near Arlington Cemetery, Virginia. Mr. Palmer’s farm, like the entire district, seems to abound in this species, whereas but one very small and young B. americanus, from North Chesapeake Beach, (and this rather doubtful), has thus far been added to the collection.
Two pickerel frogs, (Rana palustris), were caught by Mr. O’Dwyer and myself along the Chesa- peake and Ohio Canal, above the Aqueduct Bridge, between the Chain-bridge and Georgetown, on the evening of August 30, 1915. Abundant rains had soaked the entire region and made the finding of frogs a “regular picnic.” Several young specimens of R. clamitans, which, by the way, appears to be very abundant in this neighborhood, were also caught, as well as a young specimen of R. pipiens, easily 1 recog- nizable by its ‘round, brownish, dorsal spots and its sharp snout.
A specimen of Hyla versicolor was picked up by Mr. Palmer from the bottom of his well, whither the tree-toad had jumped or fallen after the superstruc- ture had been removed in order to make way for a pump of more modern type. Efforts will shortly be made to secure specimens of Hyla evittata Miller, which are said to be very numerous in the ponds between Mr. Palmer’s farm and the Potomac River, and also to establish whether Hyla cinerea co-exists with, or is not, as some claim, specifically identical with HZ. evittata.
Some doubt seems to exist as to the exact species of a small frog resembling clamitans, but with the back of a rich brown or chocolate color, and with a beautiful streak of lazuli blue on the edge of the upper jaw from the tympanum to the tip of the snout. Can any reader of Coprta help us out?
S. M. GRoNBERGER, Washington, D. C.
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ADDITIONAL RECORDS OF THE TIGER SALAMANDER IN CALIFORNIA.
Records of the Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) in California are so few that it seems de- sirable to make brief mention of some specimens in the collections of the University of California. A specimen from Mount Hamilton, Santa Clara Coun- ty, (no date), taken by A. W. Crawford, and one from Ripon, San Joaquin County, taken April 6, 1912, by Louis Vistica, are in the collection of the Department of Zoology. A specimen from Galt, Sacramento County, was taken December 31, 1914, by W. H. Noble, and is now No. 5562 in the reptile and amphibian collection of the California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. All three seem referable to the western sub-species namely Ambystoma tigrinum californiense Gray.
Tracy I. Srorer, Berkeley, California.
Edited by J. T. Nrcuo_s, American Museum of Natural History
PRICE FIVE CENTS
New York, December 15, 1915. No. 25
Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates
FISHING WITH POISON IN AFRICA
During the American Museum Expedition to the Belgian Congo, 1909-1915, we had opportunity to gather a large collection of fish from the Congo River and its northeastern affluents.
It may be interesting to give a short account of one of the most successful methods of fishing used by the natives of the Logo and Bakango tribes of Faradje (Uele District) on the Dungu River, an affluent of the Uele-Ubangi system. At the appoint- ed day in the early morning a crowd of women and children set out with baskets full of leaves of a large bush with white pea-like flowers (Tephrosia), which they cultivate in their villages.’ At a particular rocky place where the river was about 500 yards wide, they selected one of the largest rocks forming a low island. They threw these leaves into the circular erosions, which thus served as mortars. ‘Two or three women over one hole would busily handle the pestles crush- ing the leaves, keeping time to the songs of the merry crowd. In the meantime a few of the men and boys had, downstream, constructed a slight barrier of branches and green twigs across the shallow riverbed. Now these slowly came up stream with their dugouts, and, with good wishes for success, received the green mush from the holes in large, wide-meshed baskets. Again paddling upward for a few hundred yards,
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they made fast their canoes. At this place the stream was partially obstructed by the emerging rocks, and to the passages between, with much stronger cur- rent, they carried their nearly full baskets. All at once, they dipped them into the water and stirred the mush rapidly with one hand. Soon the brownish