SALAMANDRA VENENOSA. 69 
inhabiting South Carolina, and refer it to the Salamander represented in the beak 
of the Ardea herodias of Catesby, which animal Say supposes to be identical 
with the Salamandra dorsalis. Catesby’s Salamander is probably neither one 
nor the other, if his description is to be relied on. 
Generat Remarks. The history of our acquaintance with the Salamandra 
venenosa is as follows. In 1803, Dr. Barton obtained a living specimen of it from 
the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, which he presented to the American Philo- 
sophical Society, accompanied with a description and figure of the animal; but 
under what specific name does not appear, for Ihave consulted the records of 
the society, and they simply state, that a paper of this kind was read by Dr. 
Barton, and referred to a committee, consisting of Latrobe and others. 
Now it is possible that Latrobe, or perhaps Dr. Barton himself, might have 
given some account of the animal to Rafinesque, or that he (Rafinesque) might 
have been present at the reading of the paper, for certain it is that he sent a 
good description to Daudin, who published it in his work under the specific name 
it now bears, which was probably given by Barton, and communicated through 
Rafinesque to Daudin, for the latter gives the specific name as one imposed by 
Dr. Barton. 
Six years after, Barton published his account of the same animal in the sixth 
volume of the ‘Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, under the name 
Lacerta (Salamandra) sub-violacea, from its colour. It would appear then that 
the specific name Venenosa is the appropriate one, at least so far as regards 
priority, as it was first published by Daudin, with a reference to Barton, who had 
no right to change a specific name, even though imposed by himself, after it had 
been once published to the scientific world. 
Vor. V.—10 
