CHAPTER \T 
SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF VENOMOUS SNAKES. 
The order Serpentes Linnzus' or Ophidia Brongniart? had experienced 
repeated reclassifications by systematists before it was brought into an intel- 
ligible and a logically conceived system, mainly by the labors of Oppel (1811), 
Wagler (1830), J. Miiller (1831), Gray (1849), Duméril and Bibron (1852), 
Stannius (1856), Giinther (1864), Cope (1864, 1887, 1898), Boulenger (1896), 
and Stejneger (1895, 1907). From Linnzus to Oppel and Merrem the term 
was applied to a heterogeneous assemblage of various species, including the 
snake-like lizards and the batrachian Ceeciliide. Laurenti (1768) added 
no improvement. Wagler eliminated improper members from Serpentes, 
while Miiller divided it into two divisions, the Microstomata (= Angiosto- 
mata) and Macrostomata (= Eurystomata), basing them on the proportion 
and position of the paroccipital bone or suspensorium of the quadrate. 
Duméril and Bibron then divided the order according to the dental struc- 
tures into Opoterodonta, Aglyphodonta, Opisthoglypha, Proteroglypha, and 
Solenoglypha. The first is angiostomatous and the last four eurystomatous. 
The Angiostomata were divided by Stannius into Typhlopina and Tortricina, 
and the Eurystomata into Peropoda (with rudiments of pelvis), Asinea, and 
Thanatophidia, the last including all of the venomous snakes. Gray created 
two suborders, the Colubrina and Viperina, while Giinther distinguished 
between Ophidii colubriformes, O. colubriformes venenosi (Elapide and 
Hydrophidz) and O. viperiformes. Cope laid stress upon the modification 
of the squamosal, ectopterygoid, and endopterygoid bones, the condition of 
the vestigial limbs, division or nondivision of the anal scutum, lungs, hemi- 
penis, and also upon the grooved and non-grooved characters of the posterior 
teeth. In Cope’s system the snakes are divided into several divisions, which 
stand above the rank of families in most of the classifications. Thus there 
are Catodonta, Epanodonta, Tortricina, Peropoda, Colubroidea, and Soleno- 
glypha. The term Asinea of Stannius is employed by Cope to cover Peropoda 
and Colubroidea.: Cope finally dropped the term Asinea and broadened 
Colubroidea superfamily by adding all members of Thanatophidia except 
the viperine snakes, and subdivided Colubroidea into Aglypha, Glyphodonta, 
and Proteroglypha. Peropoda was separated from Colubroidea entirely 
on account of the rudiments of pelvis. In other words, Cope’s Colubroidea 
contains three or four eurystomatous families of Duméril and Bibron, leav- 
1 Linneus, Systema nature, roth ed., 1758, 196, I, 214. 
2 Brongniart, Bulletin, Academy of Sciences, 1800, Nos. 35), 36. 
3 Peropoda with rudiments of pelvis, and Platycerca containing Hydrophide, are added to this sub- 
order Colubroidea in his latest work. 
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