It would have likely remained a personal file if Francois Bourlieire had not 

 mentioned to Secretary S.D. Ripley that ecologists and conservationists needed 

 a complete taxonomic guide and checklist to neotropical reptiles. Upon his 

 return from the conference, Ripley queried Jim about the feasibility of such 

 a guide and the project was born with the Secretary's support. The groundwork 

 was laid; Roberto Donoso-Barros and Braulio Orejas-Miranda arrived to be 

 immediately set to work. Jim was an unceasing, but congenial, taskmaster and 

 after a year the bulk of compilation and cross-checking was completed. Roberto 

 and Braulio returned home in the fall of 1968, but Jim continued to refine the 

 checklist for another year before it went to the press, a monument to the 

 loving effort of these three men. 



With the catalog finished, Jim returned to his systematic herpetology and 

 computer technology projects. His time was short, although he didn't realize 

 it. He was busy finishing up many partially completed projects so he could 

 return to his favorite research animals, snakes. Two snake projects — 

 Dendrophidion and a typhlopid checklist had been begun but laid aside. He 

 was never to complete them. The nagging stomach ache of 1971 continued into 

 1972 and, in spite of intense medical examinations, only when the cancer laid 

 him low was the cause discovered — much, much too late. 



George Zug 

 December 1980 



