Letter to the Membership - Upcoming elections

Dear ISHBH members, The current slate of officers has been in office for too long! This was a necessity to get the ISHBH “re-established” after the death of our founding Chairman, Richard Wahlgren. With our recent approval of our tax-exempt status in the US and the transfer of our ISSN numbers (printed and electronic) from Swedish to American registration, we are able to move forward. Of the seven officers, four wish to step down at the end of their terms (John Murphy, Chris Bell, Luis Ceríaco, and Eric Hilton). Breck Bartholomew (Editor) and Ralph Tramontano (Managing Editor) are willing to continue in their positions. I (Aaron Bauer, Chair) am also happy to stay on in my position, but would also be content should someone else wish to take my place. Of utmost importance is the need for a new Treasurer. We seek someone with some experience for this position. While all other positions are open to any members, the Treasurer’s post is, for practical reasons, limited to members resident in the United States, where our bank (Wells Fargo) is located. Whole not an absolute necessity, it would be beneficial if the candidate for this position lived in a state with Wells Fargo offices (there are 37 such states), in case any future issue might require in person interactions at a branch office. It is likely that the Secretary’s role, at least in terms of managing the membership list will be combined with the main Treasurer’s function. We especially welcome candidates for any of the positions that would bring a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and opinions to the ISHBH Board. A willingness to engage is required, but the total time commitment for most positions is limited. Most positions are suitable for students and all positions except the Treasurer are open to members worldwide. If you have been enjoying Bibliotheca Herpetologica and Wahlgreniana or have joined in our annual meeting, please consider a more active participation in the ISHBH and submit your name to stand for election. Please either nominate someone (with their permission) or self-nominate for a Board position by contacting me (Aaron Bauer) before (30 June 2025). IF you are interested in the position of Treasurer, you may request more details of the requirements from Eric Hilton. [Contact information can be found at www.ISHBH.com].

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(4)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2025. Herpetological Contributions of Charles Conrad Abbott, Eccentric 19^th Century Archeologist and Naturalist. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(4):28–34.

Charles Conrad Abbott (4 June 1843 – 27 July 1919) was a controversial figure in the emerging science of archeology in the late 19^th Century. He was not a major influence on herpetology, but he was certainly well-known among the naturalists and scientists of his day. Although he was primarily professionally interested in archeology, he communicated extensively with the naturalists of his era, including Frederic Ward Putnam, Edward D. Cope, and Henry W. Fowler. He was the first to attempt documentation of the vertebrates of New Jersey, and his natural history observations based on his own direct field notes were of interest and widely referred to by later authors. No doubt, his natural history books stimulated much interest in the subject, and his reliance on direct observation by-passed the many “nature-faker” writers of his day. Charles Conrad Abbott was viewed by colleagues as cantankerous, difficult-to-be-around, somewhat sloppy in technical fieldwork, lazy, and stubborn, but he was definitely a curious character and an influential writer and naturalist following his own path in life.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(3)

Shea, G. M. 2025. The Mysterious Doctor Rurk and His Eponymous Catskink, Ristella rurkii Gray 1839 (Squamata: Scincidae: Lygosominae: Ristellini) with Notes on Other Collectors for the Museum of the Army Medical Service at Chatham. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(3):12–27.

Ristella rurkii, although stated originally to be named after a “Dr Rurk”, was likely named after Dr. William Augustus Burke, the first Inspector-General of Hospitals in India, who collected for the Museum of the Army Medical Service at Fort Pitt, Chatham. Burke was mostly based in north India, corresponding to the type locality of R. rurkii, and to the localities for his bird collections. However, the skink is only known from the Western Ghats of far southern India. With the type no longer extant, a neotype is designated to stabilise nomenclature. Known natural history collectors for the Fort Pitt Museum, along with their British Army service postings, are tabulated.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(2)

Bauer, A. M. 2025. Comments on Early Herpetological publications about Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Canada. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(2):7–11.

Prince Edward Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is Canada’s smallest province, with an area of 5660 km². Its herpetofauna is relatively depauperate. Ten species of amphibians and three species of snakes have been verified for the province. The most comprehensive publications devoted specifically to P.E.I. are those of Francis R. Cook (1960, 1967) who, along with J. Sherman Bleakney (1958) in his treatment of eastern Canada as a whole, provided a historical overview of studies on the herpetology of the province. They cited the works of John T. Mellish (1877) on snakes, Francis Bain (1890) on the herpetofauna in general, and Blythe Hurst (1944) on amphibians — all dedicated to Prince Edward Island specifically. They additionally cited several papers by Philip Cox (1847–1939), an educator and naturalist from New Brunswick.

Cook (1967) wrote “J.T. Mellish (1876) was probably the first author to publish on the Island herpetology.” However, a far earlier overview of the herpetofauna of P.E.I. was included by John Stewart (1806) in An Account of Prince Edward Island. Moriarty and Bauer (2024, State and Provincial Amphibian and Reptile Publications for the United States and Canada, Second Edition. Wahlgreniana 3.) included this work in their bibliography of P.E.I. herpetofaunal works, but the book has otherwise been uncited in the herpetological literature, and I take this opportunity to summarize its relevant content.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(1)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2025. How to Raise a Bullfrog—A Further Update with Information on a Possible Albert Broel Manuscript. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(1):1–6.

Tracing the history of an industry where obscure publications and ephemera predominate is difficult. Such is the case when documenting the history of frog farming in North America. Historians assemble as much material as possible before publishing their findings, but there is always the possibility of finding new information that had been unknown or unattainable previously. In this note, I present updated information on a publication mentioned in Dodd and Jennings (Bibliotheca Herpetologica 15(8)) that we had not been able to locate, report on another frog raising brochure, add a note on Albert Broel’s (American Frog Canning Company, New Orleans) 1945 frog-raising manual, and discuss a manuscript that might be an original outline for Broel’s system of giant bullfrog culture.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica Volume 18 Print Copy

The print copies have arrived and are being shipped this week.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(10)

Bell, C. J. and S. Skwarcan 2024. The Boy Scouts of America Reptile Study Merit Badge Pamphlet in World War II and the Broader Role of the Boy Scouts in Paper Rationing and Propaganda Distribution During the War. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(10):98–107.

John Moriarty’s excellent review of the history of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Reptile Study merit badge pamphlet (see Bibliotheca Herpetologica 10(1)) inspired our effort to compile as complete a set as possible of the different editions and printings of that pamphlet. The successful completion of that effort yielded an unexpected surprise for us — there were three cover styles during World War II for the merit badge pamphlets published by the BSA.

The earliest was printed between 1939 and 1943 (with a few copies printed early in 1944). That cover is Joe Price’s ‘Type 4 — Boy Scout Standing’ and was a colorful illustration of a boy scout in uniform on the left side of the front cover, backed mostly by white. (Joe Price privately published several catalogs of Boy Scout and Cub Scout handbooks, Boy Scout Merit Badge books and other Boy Scout Literature from roughly 1998–2002.)

The second wartime cover was printed on a thicker cardstock with a much-simplified design and was produced to comply with wartime restrictions on use of paper and color dyes. It was also printed with a much-simplified design and was produced to comply with wartime restrictions on use of paper and color dyes. That cover was printed between March and November of 1944 and is Joe Price’s ‘Type 5A — Cardboard or war cover’.

By the end of 1944 booklets with those covers had been entirely distributed for many merit badge titles and were replaced by the third type used during the war, the Type 5B cover which was made of slick clay paper but still lacked the extensive color illustrations of the printings in the early war years.

In addition to merit badge pamphlets many other BSA publications were impacted by wartime restrictions. As an example, the fourth edition of the Boy Scout Handbook also was impacted by wartime rationing — at the fifth printing (September, 1944), the size was reduced from 4.5 x 7 inches to 4 1/4 x 6 5/8 inches, and all color printing was eliminated to reduce use of pigments essential for the war effort. Many other publications of the Boy Scouts of America that were printed in 1944 and 1945 carry notices of compliance with wartime restrictions; the notice was dropped by March 1946. The broader context of those rationed materials lies in the general wartime restrictions under which many people lived during the war. That context also intersects again with the BSA in several ways and is discussed in the article.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(9)

Rouot, S. 2024. Jagannathan “Viji” Vijaya and the Forest Cane Turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica, Henderson 1912). Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(9):88–97.

Throughout the rainforests of the Western-Ghats, one of the smallest Geoemydidae turtles known today—the Forest Cane Turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica, Henderson 1912—can be found in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu in the southwest of the Indian peninsula. This remarkable turtle is easily distinguished by several unique morphological features. Today, the Forest Cane Turtle is threatened by habitat loss resulting from development and wildfire, as well as subsistence hunting by local tribes.

Although the species was first described by carcinologist John Robertson Henderson in 1912 based on two males given to him by local Kadar tribesmen the year prior, it wasn’t until 1982 that this species—by then thought to be extinct—was rediscovered by a woman who would come to dedicate herself fully to the study of this species. Through her hard work and dedication, Jagannathan “Viji” Vijaya—the first female herpetologist in India—brought the cryptic Forest Cane Turtle out of the shadows and back to the forefront of herpetology, bringing with it new hope for the turtle’s survival.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(8)

Mendyk, R. W. 2024. Early Zoo Studies in Herpetology: Catherine C. Hopley and the London Zoological Gardens. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(8):81–87.

“You can have no idea how much there is to learn about the ways of snakes. The more knowledge one gains the more one is sensible of ignorance”— Catherine Cooper Hopley, 1893

It may come as a surprise to many that the first popular English-language book ever to be published on the lives and habits of snakes was authored by a woman in Victorian England—a period marked by sexism, misogyny, and defined societal gender roles where women were ineligible for post-secondary academic pursuits, and often excluded from participation in the natural sciences and memberships in scientific societies. Yet, despite some initial surprise over the gender of its author, Catherine Cooper Hopley’s (1882) Snakes: Curiosities & Wonders of Serpent Life was widely-acclaimed, receiving many positive and celebratory reviews. Its literary success flew in the face of numerous publishers that had declined or would not even entertain the idea of taking the project on because of its apparent “loathsome” subject matter.

Although Catherine Cooper Hopley’s (1882) Snakes: Curiosities & Wonders of Serpent Life is widely regarded as the first major tome to popularize the lives and habits of snakes, there had been previous English-language works on snakes including Edward Topsell’s (1608) The History of Four-footed Beasts, Serpents, and Insects and Charles Owen’s (1742) An Essay Towards a Natural History of Serpents. These works, however, tended to focus on cataloging species, were largely steeped in myth and folklore, and did not see the widespread distribution, audience or reach of Hopley’s book.

Wahlgreniana Volume 2 Addenda & Corrigenda

Addenda & Corrigenda: Bibliography of the Anurans of the United States and Canada
Part 1: 1698–2012. Part 2: 2013–2021

Click the link above to download a PDF of the Addenda and Corrigenda released July, 2024.

 

Wahlgreniana Volume 3

State and Provincial Amphibian and Reptile Publications for the United States and Canada, Second Edition by John J. Moriarty and Aaron M. Bauer. This bibliography is intended as a guide to the regional (state and provincial) herpetofaunal literature of the United States and Canada through December 31, 2023. The oldest references cited date back to the late 18th century. It includes over 1300 references dealing primarily with single states or provinces or substantial portions thereof. Regional works of broader scope, covering up to three states or provinces (more in the cases of New England and the Maritime provinces of Canada) have also been incorporated. In addition to journal articles, citations are provided for field guides, published state and provincial bibliographies, and substantial checklists. Many of the works referenced do not appear in existing print or online databases. All citations are bibliographically complete and brief comments regarding different reprints, revisions and editions are provided. The bibliography will be a valuable research tool for those working on regional or local surveys, conservation assessments or field biology of North American amphibians and reptiles. It can also serve as a guide for bibliophiles who are building their own libraries of state and provincial works. The bibliography is illustrated with more than 100 cover images from among the cited works.

 

Volume 3—June 2024 Moriarty, John J. and Aaron M. Bauer. 2024. State and Provincial Amphibian and Reptile Publications For the United States and Canada, Second Edition. ISHBH, Salt Lake City, vi., 85 pp. Paperback, ISBN: 979-8-218-44771-7. Retail: $20.00; ISHBH members $12.00. Postage is additional. Order Here

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(7)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2024. Women in Herpetology — A Short Biography of Mary Hewes Hinckley. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(7):74–80.

In the introduction to all three editions of Anna and Albert Wright’s Handbook of Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada, the authors dedicate the book to four women who “…have in the last half-century contributed most notably to the study of this group.” Among them was Mary Hewes Hinckley (6 April 1845 – 5 June 1944), who would have been 88 when the first edition of Frogs was published. Relatively little information is available on this remarkable woman, despite the recognition she was accorded by the Wrights. She was honored by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) at the recommendation of Albert H. Wright when the Society unanimously passed a resolution to “send our greetings to two great herpetologists—Mary H. Hinckley and Leonhard Stejneger” at the annual meeting in 1940 in Toronto. Here, I present some background information on Mary, discuss the importance of her observations on frogs in the late 19^th Century, and identify the potential location of her one named study site.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(6)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2024. The Hermit Naturalist, A Nearly Forgotten Snake Story. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 18(6):71–73.

In 1899, a writer named Fred. Alexander Lucas published a short book that told the tale of a lonely hermit living on an island in the Delaware River who had immigrated from Sicily. One frosty autumn morning in 1893, the story goes, the narrator, identified only as Fritz, was fishing on the river when he saw a man fall in. The narrator quickly rows to the man in the water and pulls him into his boat. They retire to the man’s cabin on the nearby island to dry off, whereupon the Old Hermit shows him around and begins to recount his tale. The Old Hermit, identified as “the Count,” was well off living in a fine home with a beautiful young daughter. He spent his days rambling in the countryside studying natural history. One day, returning from his nature hike, he found his daughter was missing, having been abducted by brigands. He discovered that one of the brigands had sailed for America with his young captive. Determined to find his daughter, he came to America in search of her, but without success. In quiet desperation, he had settled on this remote island in hopes of one day resuming his search. Then The Hermit Naturalist turns to snakes.

Chapter 2 is devoted entirely to describing the life histories of snakes: how they live, their senses, how they feed, shedding, defensive behavior, breeding, hibernation, and the myth of snake charming. Chapter 3 is devoted to the life history of local snakes. The life history of these species is described by the Count to Fritz, but with little direct connection to the Hermit’s life story; it is strictly snake biology. For 1899, the information is remarkably accurate and strictly within the realm of knowledge at that time. The source of the information is not provided. There were no summaries of snake biology available for New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, and an examination of DeKay (1842), Hopley (1882), Abbott (1888), and the observations of Harold C. Bumpus published in Natural History Notes (1884–1886) offer no clues as to the source of the Count’s stories.

Chapter 4 provides a happy ending to the Hermit’s quest. On a natural history ramble through the forest the following spring, Fritz stumbles across a beautiful young girl sitting on a bench on a bluff near the sanitorium where she worked. Fritz realizes who she is and reunites her with her long-lost father. In time, Fritz marries the girl, and presumably they all live happily ever after.