REPTILES. 63 



THE REPTILES OF MICHIGAN. 



BY ALEXANDER G. RUTHVEN. - 



INTRODUCTION. 



lu the (Ji)iiiiun of the writer, the inadequateness of the avaiUible 

 iuformation on the reptiles of Michigan may be attributed in part 

 to the fact that there is no available manual on the subject suitable 

 for the use of local students. The literature consists, with few ex- 

 ceptions, of a few general and local lists and incidental references 

 to Michigan specimens in general Avorks on herpetologv. Aside from 

 their limitations as lists the more general papers are all more or 

 less erroneous and antiquated, and the local lists at best deal with 

 too widely separated localities to be of general interest. The other 

 records have, of course, the disadvantage of being widely scattered. 

 It is hoped that this report will furnish an accurate summary of 

 our present knowledge of the subject, and also serve to encourage 

 further work. 



LITERATURE. 



The publications which treat either entirely or in part of Michi- 

 gan specimens are as follows: 



1. Sager, Abraham. Senate Doc, State of Michigan, 1S30, pp. 

 294-305. A list of Michigan reptiles collected by the State Geologi- 

 cal and Natural History Survey. No localities or other data given. 

 Copied in Senate Documents of the same year. 



2. Holbrook, J. E. North American Herpefology, 1842. Gives 

 "Michigan'' in the range of several species. 



3. Baird, S. F. and Girard, C. Catalogue of North American 

 Reptiles, 1853. Specimens of Elaphc tidpiuus, i^toreria dckayi, 

 >^istrurihs caicnatus, Natrix sipcdon and Rcfjinu Ichcris listed from 

 Michigan and two new species, Bascuuion foxil and Xerodia agas- 

 sizii, described on the basis of Michigan material. 



4. Hallowell, Edward. Proc. Acad, of Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. 

 1856, p. 310. A description of a specimen of Euuicccs quinqucJine- 

 oius frouL rlie neighborhood of Flint, Michigan, as a new species — 

 Plestiodon r i 1 1 if/criim . 



5. A2:assiz. Louis. Contributions to the Natural Historv of the 



