INTRODUCTION 



According to the classification of Hoge and Romano-Hoge 

 (1981), rattlesnakes, "serpents a sonnettes," are members of the 

 Viperidae Laurenti 1768, which consists of four subfamilies: 

 Viper inae Laurenti 1768, Azemiopinae Liem, Marx and Rabb 1971, 

 Causinae Cope 1860, and Crotalinae Oppel 1871. The Crotalinae 

 is further subdivided into the tribes Agkistrodontini Gray 1825 

 and Crotalini Gray 1825. One group of Crotalini contains two 

 genera: Sistrurus Garman 1883 and Crotalus Linne 1758; the former 

 represents the primitive rattlesnakes, the latter the derived 

 ones. The evolution of the rattlesnakes has been discussed in 

 several important monographs (e.g., Gloyd, 1940, Klauber, 1956 & 

 1972, brattstrom, 1964). 



The purpose of this report is to summarize the information 

 uncovered during my search for lost types and taxonomically- 

 nomenclaturally important specimens. The information is 

 presented in two parts. The first part examines the type 

 specimens of nominal species, whether or not the specimen's 

 presence has been confirmed in our collections. The second part 

 examines historical specimens, i.e., those specimens used by A. 

 M. C. Dumeril, A. H. A. Dumeril, and G. Bibron in their 

 redescription of species named by their predecessors. The types 

 represent eight binominals and one trinominal; the historical 

 specimens were used in eight binominals. In each case, the 

 species are arranged alphabetically. All the specimens discussed 

 herein are stored in alcohol and are housed in the Museum 

 national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (MNHN) . 



The information for each species is arranged in the following 

 manner: 1) the author, date of publication, reference 

 (abbreviated) with page of original description and 

 identification of any associated illustrations, occasionally 

 outside text or as a painting on vellum; 2) the current status of 

 the taxon; 3) the catalogue number in the registry of the 

 Laboratoire de Zoologie (Reptiles et Amphibiens) ; 4) the status 

 of the type; 5) the original citation of the type locality and 

 subseguent restrictions; 6) the name of the collector and/or 

 donor, sometimes with date(s) of collection/donation; 7) the 

 length of the body (TL, from tip of snout to base of the rattle) ; 

 8) supplementary comments. 



Finally, as much as possible, my purpose is to trace lost 

 types as well as the historically important specimens. 



