110 COLUBER FLAGELLIFOR MIS. 



the Coach-whip is taken from the Green Snake! During all this time the plate 

 and description of Catesby were overlooked, till Shaw called the attention of 

 Naturalists to them, and copied them in his General Zoology. Merrem* gives 

 a Coluber flagelliformis, but refers to the filiformis of Linnaeus and the Natrix 

 filiformis of Laurenti, as synonymes; here we find a second reference to Catesby's 

 animal, but it is given doubtingly. 



It seems then that the Coluber flagelliformis has not been described, or even 

 referred to properly, by any systematic writer on natural history, except Shaw; 

 and even his name must yield in priority to that of Catesby. 



* Versuch eines Syst. der Amph., p. 116. 



