CHECK LIST N. AMER. AMPH. KEPT. 77 



Heterodon platyrhinus COPE 



Ann. Rep. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1898 (1900), p. 761, fig. 165. 

 TYPE LOCALITY: Carolina. 



RANGE : Eastern States, Massachusetts to Florida westward to 

 Texas and northward through the states of the Great Basin 

 to Minnesota. 



Heterodon nasicus BAIRD and GIRARD 

 Heterodon nasicus BAIRD and GIRARD 



Stansbury's Expl. Surv. Vail. Great Salt Lake, 1852, p. 352. 

 Heterodon nasicus COPE 



Ann. Rep. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1898 (1900), p. 772, fig. 168. 

 TYPE LOCALITY: Texas. 



RANGE : Southwestern Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska west to Mon- 

 tana and south to Northern Mexico. Common along the 

 Mexican border from Texas to Arizona. 



Heterodon simus (LINNE) 

 Coluber simus LINNE 



Syst. Nat., Ed. 12, Vol. 1, 1766, p. 375. 

 Heterodon simus HOLBROOK 



N. Amer. Herp., Ed. 2, Vol. 4, 1842, p. 57, pi. 15. 

 Heterodon simus COPE 



Ann. Rep. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1898 (1900), p. 770, fig. 167. 



TYPE LOCALITY: Carolina. 



RANGE : Southeastern states, Indiana to Florida. 



Liopeltis (GENUS) 

 FITZINGER, Syst. Rept., 1843, p. 26 



TYPE: tricolor 



Liopeltis vernalis (HARLAN) 

 SMOOTH GREENSNAKE 

 Coluber vernalis HARLAN 



Journ. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., Vol. 5, 1827, p. 361. 



was a composite species, part of the wording which Linne intended to use in characterizing the black- 

 snake and the hog-nose snake having been combined under constrictor. Thus the scale counts 130- 

 40 refer to the hog-nose, the first words " Habitat in Canada. Kalm," refer to the black. Then we 

 read " Maxillae apex simus triqueter," obviously the hog-nose again. Lastly comes an abbreviated 

 extract of Kalm's account of the black snakes' habits " Adoritur homines circum pedes sese contoltens, 

 ted innocuus." Consequently, Coluber constrictor of 1758 being a composite species, Linne, in 1766, 

 exercised his prerogative as first reviser to correct this error. So that in the twelfth edition (p. 385) 

 we find the black snake correctly diagnosed, using much of the same wording as was used in 1758, 

 with the name constrictor applied; while on p. 373 we find the hog-nose renamed contortrix and 

 assigned to the genus Boa. The description fits the hog-nose snake accurately, again part of the early 

 diagnosis being repeated and reference is also made to Catesby's plate figuring this species. This, 

 renders the name contortrix untenable for the Copperhead. 



